Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Dreams.

Most people have something they want to do before they die; an insatiable desire that motivates someone to continue following the path of life until its end. Some wanted to be doctors, others wanted to be lawyers, others wanted to be recognized athletes, but their desire could not always be fulfilled.

The fine drops of rain began to fall from the sky, hitting the ground precisely. It was 7:57 PM and the light from a small convenience store on the empty street was shining brightly, demonstrating that they were still open. Inside, there was an attendant with an ordinary appearance, where, on his head, there was a black cap without any details; On his face, there was only a blank and tired expression, apart from his blue eyes covered by his bangs.

— It looks like a storm is going to start... — said the elderly customer who was in front of the attendant.

He just nodded and continued doing what he was doing before: packing the few purchases that the elderly woman had made in the store.

— It seems so… — he whispered, quickly finishing his task.

The elderly woman gave him a smile without showing her teeth and placed the money next to the cash register. The attendant just stretched his arm toward her and handed her the bag with what she had purchased. She turned her body a little to the side and opened her bag, thus taking out a small umbrella and opening it in front of her body.

The attendant just watched the elderly woman leave the store while the sound of the door reached his ears. A sigh left his lips and his eyes turned to the clock on the wall, which read the exact time of 7:59 PM. He started to pack his things to leave, after all his shift was ending and he wanted to go home soon.

A long time ago, Isagi Yoichi stopped believing in such dreams. Life wasn't easy at all, so being someone who was fantasizing about everything wouldn't get you anywhere. After such a busy life when he was younger, his current self, a 32-year-old man, worked at a convenience store, in the furthest possible place from the middle of Tokyo.

He quickly finished packing his things, grabbed an umbrella and opened the store door, feeling the raindrops aggressively hitting the top of the object in his hands, he closed the door behind him and locked it properly.

Isagi looked at the digital watch on his wrist and saw the date.

“Today there is going to be a meteor shower…”, he thought, looking ahead again.

He didn't live very far from there. In reality, it was a “joy” for him not to have to walk so far from home to work, or even need to take the bus there, unlike most of his colleagues who took turns with him.

Meteor shower is an event that happens a few times a year, where a group of meteors is observed radiating from a single point in the sky. Even though Isagi didn't like to admit it so much — not that he had anyone to talk to about it, since he wasn't very close to anyone these days — he liked to take a good look at the meteors overtaking the sky while drinking coffee on his balcony.

Without realizing it, he ends up accelerating his pace a little on the wet ground. As the street was empty, he just walked carelessly through the pedestrian crossings without looking too much to either side. Well, his peripheral vision was always great, so he didn't have much need for it.

His hand reaches into his pocket and he takes out his cell phone. He pressed the side button and the screen lit up, showing notifications of some messages from his mother, banking apps, games and some social network or other that was still on his cell phone — if there was any left.

“How was your day, Yo-chan?”

It was the message that appeared on your messaging app. He quickly clicked the notification, entered his password and opened the app. There weren't many messages, since he had deleted most of his contacts, so it wasn't difficult to find the conversation with his mother. His fingers slid across the screen and he responded quickly, saying only that he was fine.

Suddenly, he feels a chill run down his spine. He turned off his cell phone screen and looked around, seeing nothing unusual.

“Strange…” he thought, confused.

His steps accelerated towards his house, reducing the amount of time it would take to get there.

Lately, Isagi has been feeling some chills before and after leaving work — or even when he goes somewhere other than there. Maybe it was his too-sharp senses that were making him see too many things — that is, that weren't really there — but he didn't know if he could handle that discomfort any longer.

Without seeing time pass, in a few minutes he arrived at his house.

A sigh left his lips and he searched his pockets for the keys as quickly as possible. It was always a relief to arrive home safely. He always saw several cases of kidnapping or murder on the streets on the internet, and it was something he didn't want to go through. Even if he wasn't motivated by anything else in his life, dying to a complete stranger didn't seem like a pleasant idea.

As soon as he found the keys, he directed one of them to the lock and turned it, opening the door as quickly as he could. He dropped his backpack on the floor and left his umbrella open on the floor, aiming to let all the water drain properly.

Isagi was exhausted. Both mentally and physically. Even though he had a great physique and exercised his body every day, the mental fatigue affected his body as a whole, causing an effect that he didn't like at all. Dealing with clients was extremely annoying and difficult, as people are unbearable most of the time. However… well, he was already used to dealing with annoying people — even if it still made him tired.

As he dragged his feet across the floor, he walked through the hallway of the house and into the living room. His stomach growled loudly and he rolled his eyes, soon changing his destination to his kitchen. When he got there, he just walked over to the fridge and opened it, looking at what was inside.

Some vegetables and fruits, kintsuba and a jug of juice. His lips turned down a little, showing that he was uncomfortable with just having that there. Sure, he had a kintsuba, but he wanted something else to go with it. He took the food and placed the plate on the counter, then closed the door of his refrigerator.

He took off his cap and placed it on the counter, thus sitting on the nearest bench. Once again, he took out his cell phone and turned it on, and before he could do anything, he heard a sound of something falling.

Instantly, Isagi became alert. He put his cell phone aside and left his peripheral vision as best as possible. As he did so, he opened the drawer and grabbed the first knife he could get his hands on. His senses were keen, so he wasn't imagining things.

Isagi knew that something had been strange the last few days, but now it was more than clear that someone followed him to his house and broke into it. He tightly gripped the knife in his hands and began to observe and think carefully. His eyes rolled from side to side and a drop of sweat ran from his temple, slowly passing down his face and quickly hitting the ground.

While he walked carefully and tried not to make any noise, Isagi reflected on why they had invaded his house and chased him for days and days. He doesn't know how many there were. He didn't know if he was taking the right action, much less if he would survive this.

The saliva passed through his throat with difficulty. After checking the floor below — which had almost no rooms, it's worth mentioning — he began to cautiously head towards the stairs, to go up another floor. His breathing was becoming more and more labored with each passing second.

Toc…

He placed one foot on a ladder.

Toc, toc…

He put his foot on another and another.

Toc, toc, toc…

He climbed them one at a time, his blue eyes wide open and his hand steady on his knife.

Suddenly, he heard another noise and got scared, looking everywhere and realizing that there was nothing. Even though he was afraid, he reached the top floor. There were several rooms, such as Isagi's bedroom, the guest room — which was never used — and the bathroom, among others, which made finding Isagi a little difficult.

He gulped.

He could hear the sound of rain outside, but decided to ignore it, focusing only on what was important. Isagi noticed every detail that was out of place. He managed to notice an abnormality in the place: his favorite vase was completely in pieces on the floor. He looked at it with some sadness, after all, it was one of the gifts from his parents before he moved away from everything and everyone.

Get away from everyone…

Sometimes Isagi thought about whether it was really what he wanted to do, but he always preferred to ignore that factor, as it would be better not only for him, but for other people, too. Even though it made his parents a little sad, after all, they always supported him in everything, even though they didn't understand well, he had to think of himself first.

With that in mind, he started searching the rooms.

Crrrr!

The creaking of the first door seemed frightening to Isagi. He needed to resolve that problem as quickly as possible, as it was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. When he noticed that everything was fine inside, he turned around carefully and closed the door — which creaked once again — behind him.

Then, he went to the next room.

Crrrr!

It was the guest room.

Everything was a mess, but that didn't indicate any abnormality, since Isagi never bothered to actually look at that room properly. As it was night and there was little lighting, he was able to see the dust in the air and covered his nose as quickly as possible with his free hand. He looked up — where there was a large window — and saw that the meteor shower was beginning, albeit faintly.

Realizing that there was nothing else to do there, he carefully turned around and…

A painful sensation hit Isagi's side. It was as if something had pierced him firmly, without any hesitation. Because of this, he felt the strong taste of metal around his entire mouth cavity. A warm liquid ran down his lips and chin, the same way it did down his side.

At that moment, he managed to look a little to the side and lowered his head a little, looking at the side of his body. Thus, he managed to realize what was happening: he had just been hit with a knife. He was a little distracted by the room and didn't see when the person came up behind him and hit him exactly.

As he felt his body fall to the ground, he could see a proud smile on the face of the person who hit him. Under that black hood, he could see a reddened face, along with pupils dilated with pleasure after doing that. As he fell to the ground, blood began to spread across the ground and the person above him sat on his legs, pushing the knife further into Isagi's side.

Urgh!!

More blood came from the wound and from Isagi's mouth.

— W-who…

The words died in Isagi's mouth, who only managed to cough more given the situation he was in. His vision was becoming more and more grounded. His chest periodically stopped rising.

The other's smile grew, along with the reddening on his face.

— I'm a big fan of yours, Isagi Yoichi.

Fan? From Isagi?

Had he done something to deserve a fan?

In reality, what kind of fan was the one who killed his idol?

— I followed your journey from the match against the U-20 to your professional life… — he bit his lip, pushing the knife deeper into Isagi, while bringing his face closer to him and looking down at him in a psychotic and desperate way — but you left everything behind… and he abandoned his fans!!

Arf…

Arf…

Arf…

Isagi's breathing slowly went away.

As his gaze turned to the meteor shower happening above his house, he remembered how he stopped there. After going through everything at Blue Lock, he went into professional life and managed to be a great player, however… everything got so boring…

Isagi was never a genius like Rin, Nagi, and Sae, but he could adapt to things as quickly and effectively as possible. His skills in all areas improved to the extreme and, when younger, he managed to be configured as one of the New Gen U-20.

Arf…

His vision was turning black and he couldn't hear anything else. His senses, sharpened since birth, were no longer that sharp. He no longer felt so much pain, much less the sensation of blood flowing from the wound.

He looked once again at the falling meteors. What were his parents doing now? Would they be very sad about his death? And your companions? Did they, at least, remember Isagi?

It was frustrating.

He wished he could go back a little.

He wanted to be able to hug his parents and his friends, even if just for one last moment.

Maybe, if he could go back… he could try to like football again…

Many said that the feeling of being alive was the best thing in the world; others said they felt indifferent about it. In certain moments when you feel intense joy, your nerves are on edge and you are able to do things you never imagined you could do.

The adequate functioning of the majority of human senses was proof of a healthy life, after all, when you are alive, most of the time, your senses work very well. For example, vision, which was one of the most important — if not the most important — of all the senses.

Another would be your sense of smell, which can get you out of a lot of trouble. At that moment, your nostrils move, making a smell of men's shampoo enter and go directly to your nerves, which they recognize and send to the brain. His face contorted a little because of the confusion, but his eyes never opened to see what that meant.

Other important senses would be touch and hearing. His body's limbs moved slowly as he felt something a little strange about his body. His palms ran around it, trying to recognize what exactly it was. Suddenly, a sound reached his ears.

— It tickles, Isagi!

Tickling?

Was he touching anybody?

Wait…

Isagi?

Wasn't Isagi Yoichi, that is, him, dead?

And that voice…

So, he decided to slowly open his eyes. Little by little, the light entered his pupils and he felt a brief discomfort at that, but he wasn't too bothered, after all... he was seeing.

Now that he was able to understand, he could see, smell and hear things, in addition to touching someone above him. And that someone was…

— Isagi! Stop laziness and let's train a little!

Isagi's eyes were shaking from side to side.

He was alive.

And the one who was above him was Bachira, who surrounded his body with his arms and legs.

But he wasn't just any Bachira. It was the one from 15 years ago, when Isagi was still 17 years old.

All the touches, the smells, the noises... It couldn't be imagination or just a dream, after all, Isagi was sure he had died previously.

So at that moment, Isagi was sure.

He went back in time.

Chapter Text

The concept of time travel was something that appealed to Isagi. 

The last time he had seen anything about it was when he read Wakui Ken's manga Tokyo Revengers, in which the protagonist, Takemichi, returned to prevent the death of his ex-girlfriend and his friends. 

He had also seen something about it in the Flash series and comics; but in the midst of it all, he managed to realize one thing: messing with something usually led to a disastrous future. 

— You're very quiet, Isagi. Did something happen?

Isagi bit his lower lip lightly and put his hand to his chin as he thought. He had no idea how he had gotten back in time. A few minutes ago, he was lying on the ground, bloodied, as he watched his life flash before his eyes. Now he was on a small soccer field, in a closed room, surrounded by synthetic grass.

"Besides...", he thought, turning his gaze to Bachira, who was watching him curiously. 

Bachira. 

It was hard to look at him after such a long time without seeing him, made even worse by the fact that it was a younger version of him, who was much closer to Isagi. In a way, he felt a little guilty about being there, next to Bachira, but decided not to show it too much, as it would be awkward.

Isagi had to think about exactly which period they were in. Of course they were in the Blue Lock. He wouldn't confuse that cramped place and those walls so white they made him dizzy. However... at which stage of the Blue Lock was the question to be resolved. Bachira being there with him was a great hint, as there had only been a few situations where they had been together.

First, they could be in the phase when Team Z was still together. Bachira often called him to train at that time, since they had to play against other teams frequently in order to survive in the Blue Lock. Secondly, he might have thought it was the moment he, Nagi and Bachira formed a team, but if his memory serves him right, that trio didn't last a day, since Isagi decided to challenge Rin's team and they lost.

The thought made Isagi put his hand in front of his lips and let out a short laugh, which left Bachira confused. Thinking back now, his impulsiveness and curiosity to play against incredible people were the key tools for him to become as good at soccer as he was in the past.

And last but not least — and most likely to be —  the 5v5 stage against world-class players. Even though it had been 15 years since he had played that match, he could still remember how they were torn apart and how he could do practically nothing against them.

It was very likely that his peak self would win.

It couldn't be after that, as it was the period of the game against the U-20 and the Neo Egoist League, which were times when the two didn't meet that often. Wanting to put his daydreams aside and find out straight away which period they were in, he turned his gaze to the side and fixed his sight on Bachira, who was still looking at him curiously and swinging his bent legs in the shape of a butterfly.

— Bachira.

As he imagined, it was strange to speak that name after so long. The glowing eyes directed at him made his heart break all over.

He was trying to be as rational as possible in that situation, as he always tried to be, since there was nothing he could do. He had died, and he thought it was very difficult for him to have the power to go back and forth in time like Takemichi. And if that was the case, he would need a trigger, and the only possible trigger would be death.

— Hmm? — he tipped his head to one side.

His mind focused on just one question, the one that would help him know exactly what he wanted to know.

— Where is Rin?

That question solved everything. 

In one case, Bachira wouldn't know who Rin was, since everyone had only met him at the beginning of the second selection. In another case, he would have answered that Rin was exercising, meditating or something like that.

— Rin-chan? — Bachira arched an eyebrow. — He must be meditating... Why?

"That's it!", Isagi thought. "So we're at the 5v5 stage!"

— Nothing — he said, quickly getting up from the floor and looking at Bachira, who was still staring at him in confusion. — I have to look at some things, so we can train later, okay?

Bachira blinked a few times and pursed his lips, but nodded.

Isagi didn't feel like playing at the moment. It had been years since he had even touched a soccer ball and, to be quite honest, he didn't really feel safe enough to do so. 

He didn't want to think too much about it, though... he was feeling a certain fear . 

Isagi bit his lower lip lightly and started walking towards the door of the training ground. He wouldn't think about that now, he would just focus on walking around the areas he was allowed and think about what to do next, like testing his current body's abilities or something. Besides, he'd like to be alone for a while at the moment. 

He left the camp through the door and looked down the corridor, his arm resting on the other and his hand on his chin, pensive. The walls were extremely white and there were some blue details, which was the characteristic color of the Blue Lock. He began to walk around freely, trying to get used to the rooms. 

After Isagi had explored everything he could, he made his way to the last room, which was where they could see the moves they had made and research some other things on the large television set. He picked up a cushion and threw it on the floor, then sat down and picked up the remote control. 

— Right... — he whispered, looking at the buttons on the object in his hand — it seems we haven't played against them yet... — I rest my free hand on the floor. — I haven't played against any of them for a few years, so I'll do some research first.

He began to do more research. As it was already pre-defined who they would be playing, Ego purposely made research much easier, which could be considered "cool" compared to the things he always did.

First, Leonardo Luna, a professional footballer in the Spanish national team who plays for the same team as Itoshi Sae — Real Madrid. He was called "The Heir to Real Madrid" — a nickname that the 32-year-old Isagi found quite silly — and was famous for his incredible dribbling, great reflexes and impressive acumen.

To Isagi's misfortune, the information was limited.

"Damn four eyes", he thought, sighing.

When Isagi became a professional and played in the World Cup against the French national team, Luna was no longer a striker as he had already retired. Of course, they were about 10 years apart in age, so it would have been difficult for them to face each other in the professional world, especially as Luna had retired early. 

Well, Isagi himself retired early too.

With all this in mind, he realized that he knew nothing more about his opponent, so he sighed loudly and jumped to the next one.

Next up was Pablo Cavasoz, a professional player for the Argentinian national team, not that much older than Isagi — he was only 23. There wasn't much information about him, just that he was nicknamed "Freckle Baby" and was the best free-kick taker in the world, even though he was still so young, but Isagi remembered when his team played against Cavasoz and they won. That little boy had a kick that curved insanely.

Isagi kept a disinterested look on his face. That research wasn't helping as much as he would have liked, as he was only seeing things he already knew.

Now, Dada Silva. He was a professional in the Brazilian national team, the oldest of them all. Isagi had played against several Brazilians, but from the physical size he saw on the screen — known as "Trator" — he would be one of the toughest. As was the case with Luna, Isagi hadn't played against him. The penultimate was Alan Blake — also known as the "Goal Addict", who played for the England national team and had extreme physical strength.

And last but not least, Julian Loki. Of all of them, Loki was the person Isagi played against the most, since they were the same age and could keep up with each other. Isagi remembered well that Loki was extremely fast and intelligent, having even been PXG's coach in the Neo Egoist League, even though he was the same age as most of them or even younger.

Isagi dropped the controller beside him and put his other hand on the ground, throwing his body weight back a little, along with his head, and opening his eyes. Isagi didn't know how far his current body could go, so he would have to think.

— Would it be better if I just used this match to test my current skills? — he whispered. — I hope it's a bit of fun, at least...

He let out a long sigh and picked up the controller again, turning off the screen in front of him and getting up from the floor. He quickly left the room and arrived in the corridor, starting to walk and being surrounded by the white walls once again. Even though he didn't really have a sense of time in this place, he felt tired, so he knew he should go to sleep soon.

His fingertips reached his bangs — which were bothering him a little — and pulled them away from his forehead, but they fell back into place. With an uneasy look on his face as he walked, he reached into one of his trouser pockets and took out a hair clip — which he thought belonged to Bachira or Aryu, since he found it lying around — and directed it to his hair. With one hand, he lifted his bangs and put them on top of his hair, then secured his hair and lowered his hands.

When he was younger, Isagi didn't dress up much, but as he grew older and got to know the world and various people, he got a taste for wearing different hairstyles sometimes, but never too much. He put his hands in his pockets and looked ahead again, walking calmly towards the room he shared with Rin, Aryu, Tokimitsu and Bachira.

— What the hell are you doing?

A sudden voice made Isagi stop walking.

"That voice...", he thought, slowly turning his head and coming face to face with a very familiar face.

— Going to sleep.

Itoshi Rin.

That calm but rough voice; that black hair with a distinctive fringe; those beautiful, piercing eyes; plus those well-marked eyelashes below the eyes... Even if years passed, he would never confuse one of his greatest rivals — if not the greatest — in any way. Rin was essential to his growth, so he was very much a part of his life.

Rin's eyes penetrated his soul as he watched him intently. From the looks of it, he was meditating, just as Bachira had told him, since he had his shirt off — just a pair of shorts that went down to just above his knees — a towel around his neck and his bottle in his hand.

— Hum — he started walking towards Isagi, who started walking as soon as he reached his side. 

—  Were you meditating? — he asked, even though he knew he was.

Rin arched an eyebrow.

— Yes.

And so the conversation died down for a while.

Isagi didn't quite know what to think about that. 

"Coward".

Even if it wasn't the actual Rin who had said it, he still didn't quite know how to act around Rin. Of course, he was trying to be as natural as possible with everyone, but it was a bit difficult. Besides, he and Rin had never been ones to talk things over. Rin had always wanted to defeat him and he wanted to defeat Rin. Just that.

They had been considered ideal partners for a while, but they weren't really friends, so Isagi had no idea what to talk about with him.

— What's with the shitty hair, lukewarm?

There was Rin's usual attitude.

He never respected Isagi, even after they became adults.

— My bangs were getting on my nerves — Isagi said indifferently, not wanting to give Rin too much rope. — Sometimes it's nice to tidy up a bit, anyway.

Rin stared at him, but Isagi never looked back.

After a few seconds staring at Isagi, he said: — If you have time to get ready, you should use it to get better at soccer, you idiot.

Isagi rolled his eyes and started walking faster, ignoring Rin — who was surprised by his reaction. Isagi was very tired, so taking care of Rin at the moment wasn't in his plans. 

Sleeping in that room was quite strange for Isagi. He was completely unaccustomed to sleeping with other people around him, having lived alone for about 10 years. At least it wasn't like it was at the beginning of the Blue Lock, where everyone slept on the floor and stuck together. 

The next day, they were in the hallway in their uniforms, heading straight for the field where they were going to play 5v5. Isagi still felt a little uncomfortable about the situation. Honestly, he wouldn't like to have to play at the moment, especially after so many years, but he couldn't do anything to stop it, after all. 

Isagi let out a sigh and stretched his arms upwards, squinting. 

— Are you nervous, Isagi? — Bachira arrived at his side, giving his a sideways smile. 

— No... 

Bachira whistled, putting his arms behind his head. 

— I think I'm shaking with excitement!

— B-but what happens to us if we lose? Are we going to be demoted?! — Tokimitsu asked, scared and nervous. 

— Let's give them everything we've got. — Aryu put his hand through his hair, tossing it back. — It's the most glamorous way to face them. 

Isagi took a deep breath. 

Right, he had to concentrate. If he was to advance in the Blue Lock and go on to the third team, he had to play his best despite everything. 

— Hey — Rin started to say, looking over his shoulder —, get rid of that silly thought. We're playing to win, so don't get in my way, you idiots. 

Isagi rolled his eyes and the others smiled after hearing Rin. They agreed and soon reached the door, which opened by itself and brought them face to face with the synthetic grass pitch. On the other side of the pitch were the professional players, who were emitting an aura that made everyone — except Isagi and Rin — shiver a little. 

They stared at the Blue Lock boys, who were very excited to be playing. Isagi ran his gaze over everyone, recognizing each one there. A few memories flashed through his mind, where Isagi saw various TV interviews of the people in front of him. 

Their eyes stopped on Loki. 

— Haha! Damn, they're skinnier than I thought! — Dada Silva laughed out loud as he looked at the Blue Lock team. 

— See? The Japanese aren't muscular at all — Alan Blake said, crossing his arms and looking down at them. — Now pay the 10 grand you owe me. You lost the bet!

Isagi squinted. 

He understood everything perfectly. 

Over time, he ended up learning a few languages other than Japanese, and that included English. It was necessary for the time he was gambling, and he found it very convenient at the moment. 

— I don't understand what they're saying... — Tokimitsu said, trembling.

— Was that English? I have no idea what they're saying. — Bachira said. 

— You're going to spend it all on women, aren't you? — Dada said, pointing at Blake, who just arched an eyebrow. 

— Oh? Oh, shut up. You only came here to earn some part-time money anyway.

Isagi frowned even more. That would be very annoying. 

Rin squinted his eyes and put his hands in his pockets, heading towards his opponents. 

— Hey! What do you mean? — Rin asked, standing very close to them and slurring his voice. — Is this game like a part-time job for you?

Isagi slapped his hand to his face. Now he remembered that situation; how Rin had gotten really pissed off because of the professionals' stupid talk and ended up falling for their stupid provocation. 

"Idiot child", Isagi thought, looking between his fingers at the scene Rin was making. 

Dada gave a sideways smile, looking at Rin. 

— Yes, that's right. Of course, I'd only come here to earn some extra money, since I have international matches — he looked at Blake. — Isn't that right, old man?

— Do you want me to kill you? Other than a stupid reason like yours, I want to @&$## women in kimono.

While they talked amongst themselves — even Cavasoz got in on the act — Bachira, Isagi, Tokimitsu and Aryu watched on, with only Aryu and Isagi able to understand what the professionals were saying. 

Aryu tangled a lock of his hair in his finger. 

— They're making a mockery of this match...

— Aryu-kun, do you speak English?

— I only understand a little because I like Western music. I'm still learning. 

Rin clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth, annoyed.

— Yeah, keep barking, stars... — he began to say, his voice hoarse, as he raised his head and glared at his opponents with the aim of intimidating them. — We're going to finish you off in such a way that the thought of Japan will give you PTSD.

The players' expressions darken, as they squint their eyes at Rin. Suddenly, Luna arrived in the middle of Rin and Dada, separating them.

— All right, that's enough. You're being childish.

— Tsk.

Luna looked at Rin, smiling.

— You're Itoshi Rin, aren't you? Ego told me about you.

— Huh?

— You're Itoshi Sae's younger brother, right? He became well known in Real Madrid's second division team. — Rin's eyes widened. — Being his brother, you must also be very talented. I'm looking forward to playing against you.

"He's making fun of us, too...", Isagi thought as he realized that Luna was practically ignoring the fact that he and the others were there, focusing only on Rin. "I never liked him."

In all the interviews Isagi had seen, Luna always had a kind, calm smile on his face, but he ended up saying horrible things and was super arrogant with people. That always annoyed him. 

— But you guys have some really interesting ideas. This project is designed to make Japanese soccer the best in the world, right? — Isagi's face darkened at the direction the conversation was taking. He knew very well that nothing good would come out of Luna's mouth. — But it's more likely that a Spaniard will get Yokozuna in sumo. To waste so much money on this crazy plan, Japan must be swimming in money.

Rin squinted.

— Are you being sarcastic, you bastard?

— Huh? Oh, I'm sorry! It was supposed to be a compliment — he smiled and his face reddened. — I mean, you're dedicating yourselves to an impossible dream. If there's one thing you're the best at in the world, it's being masochists!

— Hey.

Isagi said, starting to walk towards the five professionals and Rin. Those behind him were confused by the sudden action.

— Isagi? — Bachira whispers.

He gets close enough to Luna, who just stares at him with a small smile on his face and his hands on his waist, curious.

— What's up, kid?

— Why don't you shut the fuck up, you little fucking heir? — He looked up, with a vein of irritation in his head. 

All of Isagi's companions widen their eyes, completely surprised by the situation.

— Isagi?! Do you speak English? — Bachira asked excitedly.

— I-I think he's angry...

— That angry face of yours isn't glamorous at all, Isagi.

Luna's smile only widened.

— If you're going to waste time talking shit, we'd better start the fucking game soon.

— You're brave.

— Hey, hey, that's enough . — Loki said, which made them both break apart and look at him. — You've crossed the line, Luna-san.

— Huh? Did I pass?

Loki walked past Luna and towards Isagi, who had finally returned to normal and put his angry side aside. When he realized what he had done, he put his hand to his face and let out a low grunt that only he could hear.

"I called Rin a child, but now I'm acting like one...", he thought, annoyed with himself. Luna had put him out of his misery.

— I apologize to everyone. He didn't mean it. — Loki smiled and stretched out his hand towards Isagi, who gladly accepted the squeeze. — Just ignore those self-centered people. Nice to meet you.

Isagi blinked a few times and smiled, looking closely at Loki, who could see a certain aura in the other's eyes. It was the first time that Isagi and Loki had interacted — since they were in the past —, but he couldn't hide that he was really happy to see someone at least decent in the middle of so many self-centered idiots.

— It's nice to meet you, too.

— Let's have a good match.

Isagi nodded.

— You were really scary that time, Isagi! — Bachira said, then laughed.

Isagi put his hands on his waist and let out a sigh. Because he hadn't thought it through, he ended up swearing at Luna more than he should have, which was certainly strange behavior for his teammates, after all, Isagi didn't swear at anyone like that, especially off the pitch.

Both teams were on their side of the pitch, with a Blue Lock Man in goal. The formation of the two teams was quite simple, as there were only five people on each side. Suddenly, a noise came from the speakers and everyone looked up, listening carefully.

— “‘Blue Lock's third selection: world selection battle’ 5v5!!! As in the second team, the first to score 5 goals wins!” — The voice coming from there was female. It was very likely that Anri would speak through the loudspeaker. — “What's more, this match will determine whether you will take part in Japan's U-20 team!”

After Anri's last line, everyone became more attentive. That was very interesting information. 

Isagi stretched out his arms and intertwined his fingers, snapping his neck from side to side. He just had to test his skills, so he wouldn't go all out, but he would certainly play well against them. He looked to the side and saw that Rin was looking at him out of the corner of his eye, an action that made him arch one of his eyebrows.

Rin looked ahead again and Isagi was even more confused, but decided to let it go, after all, Rin had always been strange, and that wouldn't change overnight, for no reason.

Then the game began.

Isagi kicked the ball with the inside of his left foot to Bachira, who caught the pass with precision and started towards Cavasoz - who had a bored look on his face. 

Bachira opened his eyes wide and stopped the ball with his foot right in front of his opponent, then shot it under Cavasoz's legs, past the full-back and making the ball follow his movement.

— Wow. Nice spin.

Cavasoz turned his body sideways, following Bachira. Realizing this, Bachira touched the ball with the tip of his foot and took another swing, touching the ball under Cavasoz's legs. With that, he got full control of the ball and started to advance, along with Isagi, who was just watching everything carefully.

"I remember Bachira and Rin used me as bait back then", Isagi thought, observing everything around him at the same time. "The Isagi Yoichi that Bachira knows at the moment isn't very strong yet, so I doubt he'll pass to me. So..."

He began to pick up his pace, moving quickly towards the goal. He knew that this was what Rin wanted in order to score a goal, but it was necessary for him to get past his next obstacle. 

Just as he got close to the goal, his opponent arrived. Loki stopped in front of Isagi and stared at him. Isagi's current body couldn't cope with Metavision's usability all the time, so he would have to improvise a little. He stopped in front of Loki and made a feint, pretending to go one way and going the other.

As expected, Loki followed him perfectly. Isagi quickly looked away and then back at Loki, who was still watching him in silence. He pushed his body against his opponent's, putting pressure on him and making his eyes widen, drawing attention to himself.

Bachira made the pass.

"It's not like I like being bait or anything, but..." he thought, watching the ball fly over his head and end up on the other side, directly at Rin's foot.

GOAL!!

Just like that, the first goal for the Blue Lock side came, which was scored by Rin.

— G-goal?! Wow! And against the best in the world...?!

— They didn't plan it... It was instant chemistry.

Isagi stopped pressing his body into Loki's, who just stared at his in surprise, but then gave a sideways smile.

— Wow! Impressive.

— They're not so bad. 

— Yes, whatever.

— Those brats...

Rin looked at Isagi as he ran a hand through his bangs and briefly pushed them back.

"That feint and that pressure of his...", he squinted, deciding to let it go.

— Isagi and Bachira started side by side, then Isagi prevented Loki from noticing Rin and Rin scored with a pass from Bachira. — Aryu started to say, as he looked at his companions, with Tokimitsu by his side, still impressed. — It's a great pattern of play, since it's working against the best in the world.

— They're so nice...

The two began to approach the three.

—  Yes. They make a great trio.

— Cut the chatter and let's get on with it. — Rin said, moving back to their side of the pitch.

Everyone turned their backs and followed Rin, while the professionals looked at them, analyzing the situation.

— Hum... — Blake began to speak, squinting his eyes. — Against opponents from a developing country in soccer, I thought it would be as easy as taking candy from a child. But it looks like we're going to have to put in a bit of effort.

— Hahaha! We just can't lose, right?

— Yes. Our contract says we get nothing if we lose.

— Besides, don't forget that we get 10,000 dollars per goal as a bonus.

Loki jumped twice, getting into position for the game to start again.

— Yes, sir.

Then the game started again.

Luna passed the ball to Loki and everyone began to move forward. 

With the ball under his control, Loki came face to face with Isagi, who was watching him with the Metavision on. Loki approached slowly while looking at Isagi; Isagi did the same, following his movements.

Loki began to threaten to make a move on Isagi, but Isagi was undeterred and continued to keep a close eye on him, leaving no opening for Loki to slip through. Realizing that standing still wouldn't do any good, Loki moved forward, trying to dribble past Isagi. To Loki's and everyone else's surprise, he managed to stop the dribble, causing Loki to move the ball back and be prevented from going forward.

— You're interesting.

— Thank you very much.

Then, without thinking twice, Loki threw the ball back with his heel, landing directly on Cavasoz's foot. His eyes widened as he received the ball with precision. That 17-year-old had managed to put pressure on Loki at the level of his pass?

Seeing to whom the pass had been made, Isagi started running towards the goal, which left Loki a little confused. Of course, he could have passed Isagi if he had persisted, but he thought it was a complete waste of time to focus on just one person.

A smile grew on his face.

Bachira and Rin tried to stop Cavasoz, but he shot powerfully between them and the pass took the ball straight towards the goal. Aryu started running quickly, watching the ball and seeing that the pass was going to Dada.

— So he was aiming here? I'll stop him in the air!

— I don't think so!

Then Dadá and Aryu jump together, with Dadá's jump being higher and the ball hitting his head precisely. Since Aryu couldn't handle it, the ball rolled closer to the goal and in front of Tokimitsu and Blake.

Blake collided his body with Tokimitsu's, knocking him off balance instantly.

— Get out. I'm not interested in men.

Before he could say anything else, Blake's eyes widened as he realized that there was someone who had managed to catch up with their pace. Isagi advanced on Blake — who was still surprised — and put a hand on his shoulder as he took control of the ball for himself.

Everyone was completely shocked by Isagi's sudden performance.

Without letting a second pass, he began to run with the ball at his feet. His eyes moved intensely, with him paying attention to the whole field at once as he passed his opponents and teammates.

Suddenly, Loki appeared in front of him.

— I knew there was something strange about you.

But Isagi had seen it coming. Loki was much faster than him. There was nothing he could do about it at the moment. Then, knowing this, he lifted his leg and collided with the inside of his right foot with the ball, kicking it upwards towards where one of his teammates was standing.

The pace was frantic. While the ball was still flying, Isagi passed Loki, who then started running after him, knowing that he would do something crazy. The ball soon landed at the feet of Bachira, who was completely stunned by the whole thing. 

He quickly swallowed his breath and started running towards the goal, leaving Rin and Cavasoz behind. That side of the pitch was practically empty, after all, everyone was close to the Blue Lock team's goal area, so Bachira was able to advance without any problem.

Rin blinked a few times and gritted his teeth, then started running to steal Isagi's goal. He wouldn't let him steal all the limelight for himself. On Isagi's side, Loki was following him without any problem. Isagi realized that Bachira was getting close to the goal and decided to act.

"Sorry, Bachira, but I'm not so nice as to let you score my goal".

Then he stopped abruptly, which made Loki stop too. He began to try to feint at Loki, who was still following him. This was already irritating Isagi. The limitations of that body were annoying.

"Come on, damn leg", he thought, pushing his leg harder as he tried to overtake Loki.

Isagi soon saw that Rin was following Bachira with all his might, so he had an idea. He started running towards Bachira, who was confused, and passed behind him, while Loki followed persistently. Glancing sideways at Rin, Isagi started running at high speed towards him, then, when he got close, he swerved to the side.

Loki and Rin's eyes widened and they collided, as if they were marking each other.

"That bastard used me as bait?!", Rin thought, annoyed.

Isagi quickly stood next to Bachira, who widened his eyes at the sight of him. His eyes firmly stated that it was for Bachira to pass, even if he didn't want to; his ego told him not to pass, but his reason told him to give Isagi a pass.

"What do I do?!", he thought, desperate.

— Get the fuck over it, Bachira.

Isagi said and Bachira looked at him again, as if a different aura was in his eyes.

Without realizing it, his foot moved on its own, and he played the ball to Isagi.

"When did you get this good, Isagi?", Bachira thought, startled.

Then Isagi shot, with the ball hitting the net and bouncing off it.

GOAL!!

Everyone was in shock. Isagi managed to manipulate everyone on the pitch perfectly well, even managing to score a goal at the end of it all. 

"Boring..."

Isagi let the air out of his mouth and brushed his hair back, feeling that he was sweating more than he should. He looked up and saw the scoreboard, seeing that it was 2-0, with the advantage going to Blue Lock. He began to walk slowly to their side of the pitch, completely ignoring the stares he received. 

"Maybe I did something I shouldn't have, but... that guarantees my place".

— Isagi-kun!

He heard his name being called and looked up, seeing Aryu and Tokimitsu running towards him excitedly. 

— That was completely gracious! — Aryu put his hand to his forehead and struck a strange pose that only he could pull off. — That was one of the most stylish moves I've ever seen!

— You were amazing, Isagi! How did you do that?! — Tokimitsu stared at him in amazement. 

And then there was the worst part: the questions. The fact that Isagi had done something so incredible — even though it was perfectly normal for him, since it was a move that could be considered at the level when he was considered New Gen U-20 — and was completely inexpressive about it was quite curious to them. 

Isagi scratched his cheek with his index finger. 

— It was just a move I thought of at the last minute.

Before he could finish his sentence, Isagi felt his shirt being pulled. It was more than clear who had done it. 

— Lukewarm. Why did you use me as bait?

Isagi arched an eyebrow. 

— You did the same to me, didn't you? 

A vein of irritation appeared on the side of Rin's head, and he glared at him with hatred. 

Anri's eyes were wide open. She was leaning slightly towards the panel as she stared at the field in astonishment. 

Next to her was Ego, who was eating his instant noodles with black shadows — in other words, dark circles — under his eyes. Even if he didn't actually show any reaction, he was curious about the sudden increase in performance. 

Isagi Yoichi wasn't a terrible player, but he clearly wasn't at the level of being able to score a goal, practically on his own, against the best in the world. 

Something was strange. 

— E-Ego-san... — Anri looked at him, still in disbelief. 

— Interesting...

Chapter Text

As the Blue Lock boys returned to their side of the pitch, the professionals looked on slightly curiously at the whole situation. 

Their eyes were fixed on Isagi Yoichi. Of course, they knew that Itoshi Sae's brother was on the team, which minimally increased Blue Lock's chances of scoring, but...

— Who is that boy, anyway? — Blake asked, squinting while holding the soccer ball under his arm. 

— Haha! I didn't bother looking at all those boys' records! — Dada exclaimed, giving a big smile. — Looks like we've got someone remotely interesting here after all. 

— We were just taken by surprise. Let's raise the bar a bit so that the boys realize where they belong — Luna said, smiling gently, but with a horrible tone behind it. 

Everyone nodded. 

Loki stared more intently at Isagi. Isagi's movements clearly didn't correspond to those of a boy of his level. Unlike the others, he took a look at each of their records. 

Tokimitsu had an above-average physique, Aryu had accurate jumps and headers, Bachira had top-level dribbling and Rin was the most complete of them all, being able to control the field to his advantage and having accurate shots. 

Of course, all the skills were judged against the standards of the other Blue Lock players.

However, unlike the others, Isagi Yoichi didn't really have an outstanding specialty. Apparently, his qi was high and his perception was good, but... that was about it. 

A smile appeared on Loki's face. 

Isagi was hiding something, and he would do everything possible to find out what it was. 

While everyone was getting ready, Isagi had his hand on his chin, thoughtful. He couldn't stand out too much. The commotion that would cause someone of his level to suddenly start playing at the level of a New Gen U-20 would be an uncomfortable thing to deal with. 

He glanced at the opposing team. From their expression, they were going to be a little more serious, so he had to think about what to do. He had known before that this body's speed was no match for Loki's, but now he was even more certain. 

He let out a sigh. If it couldn't match his speed, he would use his experience and his ability to develop strategies to overcome it. Since his body could be nothing but a test, he would use his mind.

So the game began once again. 

This time, it was Luna who was ahead. Blake kicked the ball to him and it landed directly on his left foot. With a still gentle smile on Luna's face, they began to move forward together.

Rin came face to face with Luna, with an annoyed look on his face. Luna's gentle smile turned into a mischievous one, where he threatened to advance on Rin, but it was only a pretense in the end. 

— Don't give me that frown. We only came to evaluate you . 

— And I'm going to beat you in the process. 

Luna let out a short laugh. He put his hand under his chin, which made Rin slightly confused, but aware of everything. 

— You look just like your brother.

Rin's eyes widened for a moment and Luna noticed his carelessness. With that, he began to dribble the ball from side to side with his feet, causing Rin's eyes to roll back in a hurry, even giving him a bit of a headache. 

He didn't realize that his legs were spread too wide. Luna wiped the smile off his face and touched the ball with the tip of his foot, slipping it under Rin's legs. 

— Don't spread your legs so wide. They'll think you're easy and do it for anyone who comes along. 

Luna calmly passed Rin while he tried to react, but he was already speeding towards the goal. 

Near where Luna was standing were Bachira and Tokimitsu. Bachira goes to tackle Luna, but he just touches the ball with his heel, causing it to go over the heads of the other two. 

Up front, Cavasoz prepares to receive the ball at his feet, when suddenly Isagi appears and steals the ball while it's still in the air. Cavasoz's eyes widened and he tried to react, but Isagi was ready to kick the ball away from the goal.

— Rin!

His boot hit the ball and it flew quickly over the heads of the others. Rin's eyes widened and he readied himself to receive the pass, but he could see that someone was fast approaching. 

Laughing loudly, Dada collided his body with Rin's, leaving him with a disgruntled look on his face and forcing him to push him, even though he wasn't strong enough to do so.

Dada jumped up quickly and the ball hit his forehead. It flew away, heading for a place where there was no one. Aryu tries to run there, but suddenly Loki arrives and gets the ball. 

— That's mine.

After saying this, he turned his body and made an explosive dash, reaching a high speed. He dribbled between the players and headed towards the goal. 

Seeing that Isagi was watching him intently, he decided to stop. Confusing everyone — except Isagi, who soon understood what he was doing — Loki began to lift his leg to take a long-range shot. 

"That bastard", Isagi thought.

Then the boot made contact with the ball. It arced perfectly over Isagi's head and into the goal, hitting the net. 

GOAL!!

2-1. 

Everyone at the Blue Lock was wiping off sweat and breathing heavily. They couldn't keep up with the frantic pace of the professionals. 

Rin looked at the scoreboard and clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth. They had let a goal slip. That was extremely embarrassing, especially for him, who had gone there to win. 

Isagi took a deep breath and let the air out of his mouth, looking up, putting his hands on his waist and feeling sweat trickle down his neck. As he remembered, Loki was extremely intelligent and knew it would be a waste of time to get close while Isagi was near the goal. 

He turned his head slightly to the side and saw Loki staring at him with a smile on his face. How many times had he not seen that debauched, defiant smile on his — future — former friend's countenance? You could tell he was clearly interested in Isagi. 

— So that's the professional level, huh? — Bachira smiled. — It's higher than I imagined...

— Y-yes... I say the same...

— They're definitely ahead of us...

It was frustrating that they were so far below them, but for them — apart from Rin and Isagi — it was also an immense joy to be able to play against these players. 

The moves were extremely fast and precise.

The passing was top-notch.

The difference in physical strength was incalculable. 

But they weren't discouraged. Not at all. After all, it was their chance to reach the world little by little.

Arf…

Arf…

Two days had passed since their 5v5 match against the world's best. As expected, they had lost, but unlike before — before Isagi went back in time — it had been 5-2. 

As it was just a game for Isagi to test how his body was doing, he didn't try to score any more goals. The unnecessary attention he received with the first goal was enough for him to realize that standing out wasn't the right thing to do. 

Well, at least for the moment. 

After the game, the professionals ended up explaining that they had to talk about their skills to Ego. Everyone was exhausted from the game, as they were completely shattered. Rin was angry and devastated, which was to be expected, since he had planned to win from the start.

Rin's thinking was something Isagi really admired in him. It was what it took to be a world-class player.

Isagi picked up his pace, feeling sweat trickle down his face as his chest rose and fell with difficulty. 

Arf...

Arf...

With that match, I had managed to realize a few things: First, his speed was shit. Of course, when he was a professional player, he could run at a stupidly faster speed than that without even getting too tired.

Thinking of Loki, Isagi once again remembered the end of the match. Loki shook his hand with a smile on his face and asked his name. 

"I'll remember you, Isagi Yoichi".

A smile broke out on Isagi's lips. 

Secondly, he saw that his physical strength was actually a little below average. After managing to pressure Loki with his body the first time, it hadn't been so easy afterwards, as they raised the level of the game. 

Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, his mental strength. The only thing that had taken over that body was his 32-year-old conscience, he wasn't that mentally trained. He needed to meditate frequently so that he could connect his body and mind properly. 

Gradually, he began to stop running. His chest was rising and falling and he couldn't stop sweating, but he directed his hand to the towel hanging from the treadmill, grabbed it and brought it up to his face, wiping away all the sweat. While he still had time, he needed to create a training routine to cover all the gaps in his current body.

When the treadmill finally stopped moving, he took a deep breath through his nose and let it out through his mouth, placing both hands on his waist. He had to take it slowly, as he didn't plan on destroying his body because of any of this. He remembered well the time he tried to train more than he should have and ended up with a leg injury for two weeks. 

A shiver ran down his spine at the memory. It wasn't a good memory. 

Ronnnc!

Suddenly, Isagi's stomach rumbles and his cheeks redden. He makes a little beak and looks around, then gets off the mat and walks over to his bottle. Without thinking, he reaches out with his left hand and takes hold of it, pulling it close to him. 

"Come to think of it, I haven't eaten anything from yesterday to today...", Isagi thought, scratching his cheek with his index finger. 

With this in mind, he began to make his way towards the exit of the training room, leaving it and facing the corridor. He put the towel around his neck and looked from side to side, only turning in the direction of the cafeteria. 

The night before, he'd just taken a shower — after everyone else had, of course — he'd gone straight to bed and fallen asleep, wanting to avoid more and more questions that would fill his head later. Even though two days had passed, he was still annoyed by the incessant questions.

In the end, it was a good thing, because now he was rested and ready for a great day. Since they had to wait for the rest of the teams to finish facing the best in the world, he had some time to prepare. Well, it benefited them to be the first to go through it.

He looked down at his bottle as he walked and brought it to his lips, quickly swallowing the water inside. His eyes scanned the corridors once more, but before he could think of anything, the sound of footsteps reached his ears and he stopped, slowly turning his head sideways and looking over his shoulder.

"Why do I always bump into someone in these corridors? What an unpleasant coincidence..."

However, as soon as he could visualize who it was, the idea of it being something unpleasant fled his mind in an instant. With a smile on his face, his hand raised — as he shook it from side to side — and a ball under his arm.

— Bachira — Isagi said simply, taking another sip of his water.

Bachira quickly widened his smile and started in his direction, soon coming face to face with him.

— Where are you going, Isagi?

— I'm going to get something to eat — he twists his mouth a little to the side, showing his discomfort. — I haven't eaten anything since yesterday.

— Oh, can I come along?

Isagi shrugged and turned his head forward again, putting his hand in his pocket and walking back, but now with Bachira by his side. 

It was still quite strange for Isagi to have Bachira by his side, but he was forcing himself to get used to it, because he had to act as normal as possible. He remembered well the last time they had seen each other. In a coffee, shortly before Isagi officially retired, they were talking about the latest events in their lives.

Bachira was one of the only people Isagi had met at Blue Lock and still kept in frequent contact with. Even though they were from different teams and, in a way, rivals, their friendship didn't weaken in the slightest, even reaching... high levels at times, so to speak.

With the sudden memories, Isagi's cheeks reddened and he shook his head, trying to clear any strange thoughts from his head. Bachira looked at him curiously.

— Why did you turn red all of a sudden, Isagi? — he tilted his head sideways.

At the question, he just tried to pull himself together as best he could and turned his face away.

— Nothing, nothing.

Bachira puffed out his cheeks and made a beak.

— You're very strange these days...

— Cut the crap — he sighed after pulling himself together.

— I'm serious!

Isagi began to pick up the pace, leaving Bachira behind. Bachira was incredulous at Isagi's attitude and went after him, trying to get used to his slightly higher speed.

— Anyway, you owe me a workout!

Isagi arched an eyebrow and glared at him — without stopping walking.

— Workout?

— You promised me!

Isagi blinked a few times, confused, but then remembered when he came back and found Bachira standing next to him. 

"I have to look at some things, so we can train later, okay?"

Shit. He had really promised. 

Letting out a short sigh, they soon reached their destination and Isagi stopped at the door, his hand on his waist. He gave a small smile as he looked at Bachira.

— All right. When we've finished eating, we'll practice a bit.

Bachira's face lit up. 

He dropped the ball on the ground and threw himself at Isagi, almost knocking him off balance. He even thought about complaining, but knew it would be no use, it was Bachira, after all. Isagi looked into the cafeteria and saw Aryu and Tokimitsu sitting at one of the tables. He arched an eyebrow and tapped Bachira on the shoulder to make him move away.

When Bachira was next to Isagi again, he picked up the ball that was on the floor and they entered the cafeteria. Bachira turned his gaze to his other teammates and wondered what they were doing. He patted Isagi lightly on the shoulder and informed him that he was going to join them while Isagi got his breakfast.

Isagi just nodded and walked away from Bachira, who went over to Aryu and Tokimitsu's table.

— Hey!

They both raised their heads and looked at Bachira, who had a curious look on his face.

— Oh, Bachira — Aryu said, curling a lock of his hair around his index finger.

— What are you doing? — Aryu asked, standing between them and lowering his body a little to look at the notebooks scattered on the table.

— We're practicing a bit of English...

Bachira arched an eyebrow.

— But it's not time to learn English now.

— We know — he tossed his hair back for no reason. — But you can never practice too much in your spare time.

— Oh... — he walked around the table, taking a seat on the opposite side and facing Tokimitsu and Aryu. — What exactly are you studying?

— We're at the very beginning, so we're learning how to speak the numbers in English.

Bachira nodded. He took the notebook from Aryu and turned it over to himself, turning his head down to see what was written.

On one side, the numbers were written in Japanese. On the other side, some were written in English. 

— One... Tu... — arches an eyebrow — Tree... Foru...

— You got almost everything wrong, Bachira. — Suddenly, Isagi arrives at the table and sits down next to Bachira, a tray of food in his hands. — You only got the first one right. 

Bachira purses his lips.

— Really, Isagi-kun, you speak English — Tokimitsu exclaimed, putting both hands in front of his face and begging Isagi. — Please help us.

— Rin doesn't want to help us. He said he's not our private tutor — Aryu curled his finger in his hair. 

Isagi blinked a few times and let out a laugh.

"That's very Rin," he thought, picking up some of his food with the toothpicks and bringing it to his mouth.

— Of course, you can ask whatever you want.

They both smiled at the same time.

— You're the best, Isagi-kun!

Isagi began to stretch his arms. After a brief English lesson for Tokimitsu and Aryu, Isagi was dragged away by Bachira as soon as he had finished eating, so that they could train as they had agreed. 

It wasn't as if training with Bachira was a nuisance; in fact, it was a very positive thing for Isagi's situation. Training with someone to increase his attributes was more effective than training alone in the training room. 

— Are you ready, Isagi? — Bachira asked, raising his arms, lacing his fingers together and stretching. — I'm not going to take it easy just because it's you — he gave a sly smile. 

Isagi let a brief laugh escape his lips.

— I wouldn't have it any other way. 

Bachira's smile widened.

"I want to see what his sudden improvement is...", Bachira thought, placing his foot on the ball.

Bachira's tongue passed his lips and he took charge of the situation, charging at Isagi with the ball at his feet. Isagi even considered activating Metavision for a moment, but doing so would be a complete waste of energy. He would leave it to the Third Selection to use it. 

Isagi fixed his gaze on Bachira and Bachira returned his stare. After a few seconds of standing still, his feet start to move instantly. Bachira tried to pedal past Isagi, but Isagi's eyes were able to keep up just fine. 

— You've really improved, Isagi — he smiled, stepping back and hooking the ball under his right foot. 

— Do you think so? — he asked with a certain indifference in his voice, pretending to be misunderstood. 

Isagi stepped forward and tried to take the ball off Bachira's foot, who was taken by surprise, but hit the ball with his heel and threw it up. The ball fell a little further away from them and they ran to it. 

To try and reach the ball, Isagi put more strength into his legs, forcing himself to accelerate. Narrowly gaining control of the ball, he put his hand in front of Bachira's chest, preventing him from getting close to his foot and, consequently, stealing the ball.

Bachira's smile grew wider.

"He seems happy", Isagi thought. "I think I'll raise the bar a bit."

Suddenly, Isagi turned away from Bachira with the ball still in his control. His action left the other confused, but soon Isagi didn't let him think straight, as he threw the ball in front of his foot with his sole and made it go upwards, bouncing frequently on his foot. 

Bachira watched everything carefully. Isagi was someone who was totally unpredictable, so all caution was needed. 

The ball was thrown back and he caught it with the same foot, still bouncing it off his foot several times. Again, he threw the ball forward and touched his chest, letting it land on his foot once more and throwing it towards his head, balancing it perfectly.

Isagi looked at Bachira and raised his index finger, wiggling it in a sign for Bachira to come closer to him. He widened his eyes and his smile widened.

— Let's see what you can do, Egoist — Bachira said, moving towards Isagi.

As he dodged Bachira's attempts to steal the ball, Isagi bounced the ball over his head. 

As they stayed in this cycle for seconds, Isagi decided to make the ball fall to the ground, then used his right foot to hit it and switched to his left, while dribbling past Bachira on the left.

Isagi accelerated after getting past Bachira and went straight for goal, thus kicking the ball into the net and scoring.

GOAL!!

Little by little, Bachira's feet stopped moving, he bent his body, put his hands on his knees and took a deep breath. Isagi went to the goal and picked up the ball from the ground, turning to face his opponent as he saw him looking at the ground. 

— That was incredible, Isagi! Where did you learn to make that kind of move?

Isagi blinked a few times and scratched his cheek with his index finger, remembering who had first told him about that kind of move. That moment even gave his a sense of déjà vu. 

As Isagi tried to get close to Bachira, he bounced the ball over his head several times, managing to deflect Isagi's attacks with his body. 

When Bachira finally tired of doing this, he knocked the ball backwards and hit it with the heel of his right foot, causing it to pass over Isagi's head. While he was still watching it go past him, Bachira took advantage of the distraction to put his hand on his shoulder and run past Isagi, heading towards the goal. 

He caught the ball with his left foot and shifted to his right when Isagi tried to react, then accelerated and came face to face with his goal. He gave a mischievous grin and kicked the ball with all his might, seeing it hit the net. 

GOAL!!

— Wow, Bachira. What was that?

Bachira — after picking up the ball from the ground and turning to Isagi again — widened his smile and began to spin the ball on his index finger, slowly heading it towards his friend. 

— It's a type of dribbling that I ended up revisiting these days, called the seal dribble, created by Kerlon Moura Souza. I wanted to try it out on someone. 

Isagi made a beak.

— So I've become your guinea pig?

Bachira let out a cheerful — and cute, in Isagi's view — laugh. 

— Basically, yes.

Isagi looked at Bachira again. 

— Well, a friend of mine taught me. 

Bachira blinked a few times and puffed out his cheeks a little, looking away. Isagi was slightly confused by his reaction. 

— What?

— Nothing. 

Bachira looked away even more. 

"A friend... Anyway, when did he learn that?", he looked at Isagi again. "We haven't had contact with anyone outside recently..."

Isagi was even more confused, but decided not to question further. He let out a sigh and started walking towards Bachira, but suddenly a sound came from the speakers installed in that field. 

— Everyone gather in the room! Language study is about to begin!

Bachira's face quickly closes into a scowl, which draws a brief laugh from Isagi. He was well aware that his friend had never really enjoyed studying. 

Well, even Isagi himself wasn't the best at studying, especially in science and mathematics. 

— Come on, Bachira — put the ball down and go over to Bachira. 

— I don't want to study~

Isagi sighs with a smile on his face and grabs Bachira's wrist, pulling him towards the door while he grimaces and has a cute beak on his face. 

— But you have to learn. — The door opens by itself and they walk through, with Isagi still holding Bachira's wrist. — It's important to be able to speak other languages in the world of soccer, you know. 

— It's easy for you to speak — Isagi finally lets go of his wrist and they both start walking down the corridor towards the room of five —, since you already know English. 

Isagi shrugged, a debauched smile on his face. 

— You never even told me you could speak languages other than Japanese. 

— I never thought there was any need to talk about it.

When Isagi said that, he could see the door to their room and, on the opposite side of the corridor, Rin, Aryu and Tokimitsu.

Tokimitsu was talking nervously to Aryu, while Aryu was tucking his hair behind his ear and answering him while looking straight ahead. Rin, meanwhile, had his hands in his trouser pockets and was completely oblivious to the presence of his companions. 

When Isagi and Bachira came closer, their eyes met those of the other companions. Rin squinted and alternated his gaze between the two, then frowned and entered the room.

"I don't even try to understand Rin anymore," Isagi thought, rolling his eyes.

— Isagi-kun! Help us again, please!

— Of course, of course. No problem at all — he said, giving a small smile.

They reached the bedroom door and entered. 

Isagi actually liked this kind of moment. They didn't play games or anything, they just enjoyed each other's company while they studied. And having someone's company was something Isagi had become a little unaccustomed to.

He had learned to be alone and not to mind it. He went to work alone, came home alone and lived alone. It was a repetitive routine, but he had gotten used to it, so it was fine.

However, life decided to give him another chance. 

Even if only for a short time, he was actually feeling better than expected. He let out a short laugh at that. Perhaps it was childish of him to like something so simple.

"Am I needy or something?" he thought.

In the middle of the room there was a small table and some notebooks, books, pens, pencils and bottles of water on it. Rin was already sitting on the floor looking annoyed — as usual — and Isagi shook his head in denial, pulling Bachira to sit next to his.

Next to Rin were Aryu and Tokimitsu, who were staring at the medium-sized screen next to them. Well, since they didn't have a specific subject to study, they could start as they preferred. As Isagi and Rin were fluent in English, they were just going to help the others study. 

— What are you going to study? — Isagi asked, crossing his legs on top of each other. 

— Hm... I think I'm going to revise how to introduce myself to someone… — Tokimitsu said, smiling nervously and scratching his cheek with his finger.

— I want to practise my writing — Aryu said, tying his hair up with a hair tie and leaving two strands in front. 

— Whatever's easiest… — Bachira said, making a beak.

— Hey, take it more seriously, Bachira.

— Right, Mom~

Isagi let out a breath of air through his mouth and picked up Bachira's books, opening them and looking at what was easiest and most useful so that he could help him. His eyes moved from side to side as he flipped through the pages. 

Without wasting any time, he stopped at a perfect page. He turned the book to Bachira and pointed to the table on the page. 

— Practice your pronunciation and writing with the days of the week.

He blinked a few times and nodded — albeit still a little discouraged — sticking out his tongue and starting to write. 

Isagi glanced sideways at Rin and noticed that his countenance hadn't changed. Well, he figured as much. 

— Shouldn't you help them, too, Rin?

Rin finally looked at Isagi, squinting. 

— Why would I do that?

— Sometimes it's good to be supportive, you know?

Rin frowned more and turned his face away, which made Isagi roll his eyes — an action that was becoming frequent on Rin's account — and get up. He walked around the table and over to Aryu and Tokimitsu, sitting on one knee behind them. 

Then Isagi began to explain what he could to both of them, as calmly as he could. He had always been an extremely quiet person, and it was something that had hardly changed even as the years passed.

Helping other people wasn't a problem, as long as it didn't harm himself. He followed this to the letter and didn't plan to change. Egoist thinking often saved him from trouble, and also took him to the level of being a professional footballer. 

Being egoist was more of a benefit than a detriment, really.

When he first arrived at Blue Lock, he thought it might be a silly thought or something; but the fact that he and others had become incredible players proved how effective Blue Lock was being. 

So, just like that, time passed quickly. 

The study progressed significantly. Isagi ended up doing a role-play of what it would be like for one person to introduce themselves to another, only in English, which really helped Tokimitsu to understand how it worked. 

As for Aryu, he ended up giving him an mp3 player and he listened to a few songs, trying to write the words down on paper. As for Bachira... Well, that was for later. There wasn't much more he could do about his friend.

Suddenly, the television made a noise and they were alerted.

— "The second selection is over." — It was Anri's voice. — "All the members who will be going into the third selection will be assembled. Please put on your uniforms."

— Finally — Bachira says, smiling sideways. — I've had enough of studying.

"Now is the time", Isagi thinks, standing up. "What will my rank be this time?"

Chapter Text

Already wearing their uniforms, Isagi's team headed for the door of the Third Squad room. 

— "In all, 7 teams made up of 35 members have successfully advanced" — Anri said over the loudspeaker. — "The members will be admitted in the order of selection."

While listening to what Anri was saying, Isagi tucked a lock of his hair behind his ear. Bachira, who was standing next to them, smiled happily at not having to study any more. He stretched out his arms and turned to Isagi.

— 7 teams, huh? It seems that many have failed.

— Yes.

"If I'm not mistaken, only me, Bachira, Chigiri, Gagamaru, Raichi and Igaguri survived from Team Z...", Isagi thought, hoping he had gotten everyone right. Well, if he forgot, no one could blame him, right? It had been 15 years, after all. "Although nobody knows I'm from the future..."

— "To begin... 1st team clear, please enter" — the door in front of them opened and they entered the room, where there was a large pentagon on the floor and several other doors.

They looked around.

— I'm a bit nervous... — Tokimitsu started to say. — What kind of people will there be here?

— The only certainty we have is that the weak have been eliminated.

— "Continuing... 2nd team clear, please enter."

Then, at the same moment, the door began to rise. Isagi stared at him. He couldn't remember the order of the teams, let alone all their members.

Coming out of the door were Chigiri, Nagi, Barou, Zantetsu and Kiyora.

— What's up? 

— I'm here, you idiots.

— It's been a long time, huh?

— Hello! — Bachira waved to them and Isagi just kept a straight face and crossed his arms. — Ah! Zantetsu's with you too.

While Bachira went towards Zantetsu and Kiyora to talk and introduce himself to the latter, the other three went towards Isagi, who put his hand on his chin and looked thoughtful, which bothered them a little, in a way.

"I wonder who's on the next team...?", he thought, arching an eyebrow.

— Hey, you idiot! Stop rambling!

Isagi blinked a few times and realized that they had approached him.

— Give us a better reaction — Nagi said, putting his hands in his pockets. — We haven't seen each other for days. 

— Have you replaced us that easily?

"It's actually been a few years...", he thought, feeling a drop of sweat trickle down his temple.

He didn't quite know how to react to meeting them again. They were very important people from his start in the Blue Lock to his life outside it. He and Barou didn't speak that often after they left the Blue Lock, after all. Their interactions were based on Barou showing off about the games he'd won and Isagi congratulating him.

Like Bachira, Chigiri and Nagi were people Isagi had kept in touch with and befriended before retiring, especially the latter, who always sent him messages inviting him to play some game and various silly stickers. Still thinking about Nagi, it was a bit strange to see him trying so hard to get to the third selection, after all...

Well, anyway, Isagi shook his head to clear his thoughts and looked into the faces of everyone there and laughed briefly, which confused all three of them.

— What are you laughing at, you asshole?

— So you mean it's true that you've already replaced us?

He left a small smile on his face, closed his eyes briefly and tucked a lock of his hair behind his ear once more, then turned to look at them.

— I'm just happy to see you again.

All three widened their eyes at the sudden confession and their cheeks reddened slightly, with Chigiri and Barou looking away and Nagi continuing to stare at Isagi in admiration.

— Don't forget that I'm going to kill you! — Barou exclaimed. — And I haven't even reached the top three yet!

— Of course we'd see each other again. I couldn't leave after losing to you.

— Let's just say it was fate.

— "Next team, please come in."

As the next team starts to enter, Bachira goes to Isagi's side again and crosses his arms, bending his body to the side and resting his head on his shoulder. Isagi arched an eyebrow, but decided not to question it.

The other teams entered one by one. Some were familiar faces to Isagi and the others, but others they had no idea who they were — and Isagi didn't bother to remember them, after all, they would be eliminated later.

Then, last of all, Shidou's team arrived, which made Isagi pause. As each member entered, Isagi's saliva found it harder and harder to pass down his throat, causing it to accumulate in his mouth. 

First, Igaguri entered the room.

Tum-tum...

Isagi bit his lower lip hard.

— No way Igaguri got through... — Bachira said, surprised.

Second, Sokura entered. 

Tum-tum...

He put his fingertips on his arm, squeezing and not noticing that he was using more force than he should. 

He heard some words being spoken next to him, but he couldn't pay attention or understand very well; it was as if he were underwater.

Thirdly, Kurona arrives in the room.

Tum-tum...

If Isagi hadn't been so nervous, he would have been slightly happy to be able to see Kurona again, but at the moment, he really couldn't...

The second to last was Reo.

Tum-tum...

Their eyes met for a moment, but Reo looked away. Of course, Kunigami hadn't passed, so it was uncomfortable to be there without him, in a way, but Isagi didn't care, since Kunigami would be back later.

And the last one...

Toc...

He could feel his blood boiling like never before. 

Isagi could remember everything well. It was frustrating, but there was nothing he could do about it at the time.

Toc...

"We'd better stop this, Yoichi."

With every step he heard, he felt more frustration settle into his body.

Toc...

Even though years had passed and he no longer felt anything, looking at the cause of the end of a good moment in his life was not easy. 

Then, finally, Shidou Ryuusei entered the room, his hands in his pockets and a mischievous smile on his face. Isagi's gaze was fixed on Shidou, while Bachira and Chigiri were a little shocked that Kunigami hadn't made it past the Second Selection. 

— The Kunigami... — Chigiri began to speak, still shocked.

Bachira looked away from Isagi and his eyes widened a little when he saw how he was staring at Shidou. It was a look full of pain and frustration, with a little anger deep down. Was it because of Kunigami?

— "Well, since everyone's here, we can get started" — The image of Ego appeared on the large screen in the room and everyone looked at it. — "Well, basically, your soccer careers will be on the verge of being destroyed and forgotten over the course of the Blue Lock."

— Huh?! — Some of the players exclaimed in unison, completely lost by what Ego had said.

Ego crossed his legs as he sat back in his chair and went on to say:

— "First, there was the game against the 5 professionals, who did a good job, second, the Third Team, then the language study..." — Ego put his hand to his chin and looked slightly thoughtful — "Well, some unforeseen events have happened, since I had originally planned to reduce the group until there were only 5 of you left..."

They all looked confused.

— "Meanwhile, there's been a change of plan. The gentlemen of the association want to put an end to Blue Lock, so I challenged them" — he straightened his glasses. — "There will be a selection in the next three weeks. It will be a match that will decide the continuity of the Blue Lock, that is, a Blue Lock Eleven match against the Japanese U-20 National Team. If they win, the U-20 National Team will be replaced by the Blue Lock."

— Replacing the Japanese U-20 team?

— Really?

— I'm surprised they've accepted these conditions...

— "Well, they thought they had no chance of losing, so they signed the contract while laughing" — he makes a gun with his hand and points it at his own head. — "At the level you're at now, you could wipe out the Japanese national team. And with that said, they even plan to add another new member to ensure victory..."

As soon as Ego says this, he stretches his finger forward and a hologram of Itoshi Sae appears there, with various pieces of information, which shocked Rin. He was shirtless and wearing only black shorts, with his usual serious countenance. 

Isagi arched both eyebrows and felt his whole body grow hot. His eyes flashed instantly and he swallowed nervously. His face was burning hot and he was sure it was red, so he decided to cover his cheeks with one hand, looking away from Ego.

With so many thoughts in his head, he had forgotten that Itoshi Sae would be playing against them too. 

— Hey! Wait a minute! — Raichi exclaimed. — I thought it was a chance for all of us, but you said "Blue Lock Eleven". How are you going to define the limbs?

— As for that, don't we need players in the midfield and defender positions?

— "Yes, of course. And the goalkeeper too. We'll have to rush to form a team with members from other positions". — Once again, Ego fixed the glasses on his face. — "That said, the Blue Lock Eleven's formation will focus around the six names I'm going to call out now."

"The time has finally come," Isagi thought, managing to control himself a little better. 

Ego raised his hand and opened it, placing the index finger of his other hand in his palm. 

— "According to your performances so far, I've put together a top six, who will aim to form a team in just three weeks. So, those of you who are called, step forward..."

Everyone nodded and swallowed.

"Maybe I'll be in the top three this time... since I scored a goal against them", Isagi thought.

— "First of all..." — He began to speak and, on the big screen, the image of the Top 1 appeared — "Itoshi Rin."

Upon hearing his name, Rin continued to look serious, his hands in his pockets. Isagi turned his gaze to him and thought quickly:

"I figured Rin would come first again. His skills are superior to those of everyone in Blue Lock..."

— "Continuing, in second place, Shidou Ryuusei."

Shidou smiled. 

— Finally.

— Huh? You're that good?! — Igaguri was surprised. — I thought you were only a little above average...

Shidou turned his gaze to Rin.

— So that's the top one, huh?

Isagi looked away from Shidou as he felt a slightly bitter taste in his mouth.

— “Now third place..." — Ego began to speak and the image of the Top 3 appeared on the screen, causing everyone to be completely surprised, except himself — "Isagi Yoichi."

He clenched his hand into a fist and celebrated in a restrained manner.

"Yeah. Just the way I thought it would be!"

He glanced around and noticed that everyone was staring at him in bewilderment. His gaze settled for a moment on Rin, who stared at him with a deadly countenance, as if he could kill him at any moment.

Before he could think of anything else, the collar of his shirt was pulled from behind. When he looked back, he realized it was Barou, who was staring at him with a dark aura in his eyes and veins popping out of his face. 

— What have you done, you little shit?

— Huh?

"So the road to Isagi is that far?", Nagi thought, not knowing how to react to this.

"I've been left behind by Isagi again...", Bachira thought, shuddering at the possibility. 

— There must be something wrong with this! — Raichi shouted, pointing at Isagi. — There's no way Isagi is in the top three!

"In the old days, I'd be sad to hear something like that, you piece of shit", Isagi thought, squinting.

— Yes, yes! Isagi's not that good! — Igaguri exclaimed.

Isagi squinted his eyes even more. He didn't want to hear that from Igaguri .

— "Shut up" — Ego said, with a frightened look on his face. — "I'm not an idiot. There's no mistake. First, let him go. I won't tolerate any more acts of violence."

Barou got even angrier, but let go of Isagi.

— Tsk.

— "Fourth place, Karasu Tabito." — Karasu gave a devious smile. — "Fifth place, Otoya Eita." — Otoya cracked his neck. — "And in last place, Nagi Seishiro. That's all."

"I'm so far below Isagi...", Nagi thought dejectedly. 

— What were the evaluation criteria for this placement? — Gagamaru asked as he raised his hand.

— "Well, basically, I made the top three because they were the only ones who managed to score a goal against the pros." — Everyone's eyes widened when they heard that. Isagi had managed to score a goal against them? — "The criteria for Isagi Yoichi to be third was the same, also counting his plays and saves against the pros, which were enough to get him that place." — Ego said, fixing his glasses. — "As for the rest, I took into account how they played in the other phases and how many goals they scored. Does that answer your question?"

Gagamaru nodded.

Ego then began to explain how it would all happen. As before, they were divided into three groups with the chosen ones being the leaders of each, but unlike the first time, Ego had decided to place the pairs in different ways.

Rin, who used to be with Shidou, was now with Isagi and both were leaders of group A. Karasu, for the moment, had stayed with Otoya, with the two of them being leaders of group B. And last but not least, group C, which had Nagi and Shidou in the lead.

Isagi was a little confused by the brief change in Ego's combinations. If they followed the same logic as before, he should be in the same group as Karasu, right? Although he couldn't quite remember what the logic behind it was... He glanced at Ego and he just explained with his normal expression on his face. No matter how many years passed, he would never be able to understand Ego's mind.

At the end of it all, people would choose which team to join and they would be added to their chosen teams to form a group of five. So it could be a 5v5 between the teams.

— “Choose carefully. The Top 6 will have the chance to play all the matches, unlike the others, who will only have one."

Aryu began to fiddle with his hair, slightly thoughtful and worried.

— So basically, we'll have to prove ourselves in a single match.

— "Also, after the remaining 29 have split into groups of three, 9 teams of 3 people, that's 27 people. One team will be one member short, making a team of two" — Ego fixed his glasses with his index finger and continued talking: — "So, as an exception, only one person will have the chance to play two matches. That honor will be given to Bachira Meguru."

Bachira, who was still slightly uncomfortable being behind Isagi and Rin, just nods and gives a sideways smile, putting his hand on his neck.

— Yes, sir.

Ego stretches his finger forward and the next door opens, causing everyone to look at it.

— "First, the top six will go to a different room."

Isagi arched an eyebrow.

"It'll be my first time there. What's it going to be like?"

— "That said, this ranking reflects your current ratings. Even if you're in the top 6 now, everything could change drastically by the end of the test. Keep that in mind."

As Ego finished speaking, everyone from the top 6 started for the door, with Rin going first. Isagi stood next to Nagi and swallowed for a moment. Having some new experiences in your life was making your heart beat slightly faster.

— Isagi.

Snapping out of his reverie, Isagi looked over and realized that it was Nagi who was talking to him.

— Huh?

— Even though we're both in the top six, I'm still below you. You know what that means, right? — Nagi glanced excitedly at Isagi, who looked at him slightly impressed.

Isagi let out a short laugh.

— Of course, genius . Let's see if you can catch up with me — he let a teasing smile leave his lips and Nagi's eyes widened.

— Isagi!

Chigiri, Bachira and Barou shout in unison, causing Isagi to gasp and look back quickly. 

— Don't think you made the top six! Remember that I plan to destroy you, and that includes getting above you in this fucking ranking!

— We're right behind you.

— Better get ready!

Isagi blinked a few times, perplexed, but then smiled and nodded, turning towards the door and starting in with the others.

As they entered the corridor and the door behind them was closing, the light gradually dimmed. Isagi slicked back his hair and looked closely at each person there, analyzing them. As this was something new for him, he had to be very careful about what he did.

Isagi took a deep breath. 

He couldn't go overboard in any way. If he wanted to have at least a little fun, he couldn't show off his skills all at once. After all, apart from being strange to everyone else and completely abnormal, it wouldn't be any fun and he'd feel less and less like playing the game.

Before long, the door in front of them opened and they entered the Top 6 VIP room. It was an extremely similar room to the previous one, but there were some benches for the players to sit on and it was much smaller, as it was intended for a smaller number of people.

— Oh, so this is the vip room — Shidou said, putting his hands in his pockets and letting out a sideways smile.

— It's not much different from the other one — Otoya said, looking at each one, especially at the large screen that was there, even though it was blacked out.

Isagi glanced at Rin, who had an indifferent look on his face and was standing with his hands in his pockets, looking at the same screen that Otoya was looking at. He looked over at Nagi and his eyes widened when he saw that Nagi was already sitting on the floor with his legs crossed.

When Nagi realized that Isagi was looking at him, he briefly raised his hand and tapped him twice, indicating that he should sit down. Isagi blinked a few times, but didn't deny it and just did it. 

Shidou and Otoya remained seated on the benches while Karasu and Rin stayed up. Isagi took the clip — which he still didn't know whose it was — and threw his bangs back, pinning his hair there. He put his index finger and thumb under his chin, looking thoughtful.

Perhaps it's become a bit of a habit to clip up his hair when he's tired or thinking — as well as doing it because he likes to tidy himself up a bit, of course — even if Isagi himself didn't realize it.

— I guess it won't be long before Ego shows up.

— I hope — Nagi put his arms behind his and threw the weight of his body onto them, still looking at the screen. — I want to sleep.

A brief laugh burst from Isagi's lips.

"He really doesn't change", he thought, smiling.

Suddenly, Ego appeared on the big screen with his usual serious face. 

Everyone stared at him in silence at the same moment.

— "By fighting to get this far, you've all proved your place in the Blue Lock elite." — As soon as Ego had finished speaking, the image of the pairs and their respective teams appeared next to him. — "I've set up each of the A, B and C teams with pairs that will theoretically allow for the best possible combinations. Show me the new attacks that you couldn't do alone. Think of each other as a tool to become the best striker in the world..."

After a while, Isagi stopped paying attention to Ego's boring monologue. He was clearly more curious to know what it would be like to play with Rin as his partner in this third selection. Of course, he had already been considered as Rin's partner in the match against U-20, but he didn't have a fresh memory of what it would be like to put up with him like that.

A sigh left his lips.

As he had thought before, he would have to be careful. He didn't know who his teammates would be. As everything had changed, he had no way of predicting who would make his team. The ones from before had been Nanase and Hiori, as far as he could remember; so who would be joining him and Rin? It was a genuine curiosity he had. 

"Well, there's no point in thinking too much", he thought, getting up from the floor next to Nagi after Ego had finished speaking.

With that in mind, Isagi turned on his heels and headed for the door — along with the others, of course. They needed to rest and wait for everyone to make a good choice about which team to join, then they would go to a separate dormitory from the other players.

"I'll just go with the flow of things and try to enjoy myself", he smiled in a restrained manner and walked through the door.

Chapter Text

Isagi took a deep breath, feeling the delicious smell of the steak enter his nostrils. Even though he used to be with an "elite" Blue Lock team, he hadn't really bothered to eat anything like this. Even though he had stopped playing years ago, he still maintained a strict diet out of habit and because he didn't want to get out of shape, but at Nagi's insistence, he couldn't resist eating something extremely greasy.

He was a disgrace.

His old coach would be stupidly annoyed with him.

— Isagi.

Isagi looked over, seeing that Nagi was lying with his head on the table and the plate of steak in front of him. 

— Huh?

He raised his body, then his arm and pointed his index finger at the food, then at his mouth, indicating that he wanted Isagi to feed him. At the same moment, Isagi frowned.

— Do you want me to feed you?

— Uhum, uhum — he nodded a few times, laying his face down on the table again. 

Isagi blinked a few times, still disbelieving, but seconds later, a short laugh burst from his lips. When he and Nagi were on the same team, Isagi always ended up looking after Nagi a bit, even if he didn't want to and avoided it at all costs. In reality, he was looking after Chigiri and Barou too. 

"I felt like a real mother back then..." he thought, tapping his hand lightly on his cheek as he let out a relaxed smile. 

He removed his hand from his face, stretched his arm over Nagi's and picked up the fork and knife, directing the cutlery towards the meat and cutting it slowly. It was a nostalgia that warmed his heart a little. Little by little, he was getting used to the constant presence of people around him again — of course, people who weren't his clients. 

Time travel hadn't been such a bad thing. 

After cutting the meat, he left the knife on the table and put one hand under the other, trying to stop it from falling. Nagi's eyes widened a little as Isagi brought the fork closer to his mouth, but he gladly accepted the food and let him put the meat in his mouth. 

"He never made it that easy...", Nagi thought, still a little suspicious and confused, but happy to be eating such good food. 

Even if it didn't seem like it to most people, Nagi could be a bit observant when he wanted to be. He had noticed that Isagi was different. His gestures were, in a way, more... elegant, if you could put it that way; he now fixed his hair differently — in fact, Nagi didn't think he had ever seen Isagi fix his hair —; he also seemed more careful in his actions, much more mysterious than usual and better at soccer. 

He didn't really know what was wrong, but for him to have managed to score a goal against the best in the world and to be in the top three, something extremely strange and abnormal had happened over the last few days. 

— Isagi — he said after finishing chewing the piece of meat. 

— Tell me… — he whispered, picking up another piece of meat to give to Nagi. 

— How did you manage to score against those guys?

Isagi paused. 

He blinked a few times, directing his gaze at Nagi, who, despite his usual dead stare, seemed more attentive to Isagi's every movement and expression. 

Isagi swallowed for a moment. 

He gave the piece of meat to Nagi, who ate it, but didn't take his eyes off you. 

— Well... I just made a move at the last moment and it worked. 

It wasn't a lie, after all. 

Nagi arched an eyebrow and slowly lifted his face from the table, still looking at him. Isagi — once again — gulped, getting slightly nervous in the situation. He might be good — or, perhaps, not — at hiding the fact that he was a person from the future, but that pressure from Nagi was making him uncomfortable, feeling that he wouldn't be able to hide it as well as he could.

— Anyway — he changed the subject on the spot —, who do you think is going to join your team? — Nagi took another piece of meat from his plate and raised his fork to his mouth, trying to distract him.

Nagi ate his meat and laid his face down on the table again, deciding to forget about the previous subject for the time being.

It was obvious that Isagi was hiding something. He didn't need to be a genius to know that.

— I have no idea — he shrugged, chewing. — Maybe Zantetsu and Reo.

"He and Reo had worked it out by then...?" he thought, placing his hand thoughtfully under his chin. He really couldn't remember.

— I can't imagine who's coming to mine, either. — This time, he picked up his own cutlery and carried it over to his plate, starting to cut slowly. — In any case, I feel that the vast majority come to Team A because of Rin — he let out a short laugh and put the meat in his mouth, chewing it afterwards.

— I don't think so — he closed his eyes. — If I wasn't in the top six, I'd definitely join your team, so I could beat you. — Isagi's eyes widened. — I believe the princess, the king and Bachira feel the same way.

Isagi was clearly surprised by Nagi's words. Of course, he knew he was good — that he was far above anyone else in the Blue Lock — but the Isagi they knew wasn't quite at the level of being someone who everyone would firmly follow like that.

A single goal made all that change?

He let out a short laugh, leaving Nagi slightly confused.

— What?

With a sideways smile on his face — which made Nagi blush without realizing it and wonder — he looked at Nagi, who could see an intense aura in those blue eyes.

— I'm just excited to see if you can outdo me — he grinned, putting his thumb between his fingers and biting his nail a little. — I've got my hopes up, genius. I hope it's fun.

Nagi's eyes lit up with excitement at that.

Whatever had happened to Isagi, Nagi was very grateful, as he had become even more interesting than before.

The sun was shining brightly in the sky, shining radiantly into the hotel room. As he lay on the giant bed in the room, the light coming through the window hit him in the face.

— Urgh… — he muttered with slight discomfort and grabbed his blanket, placing it over his face.

Before he could go back to sleep again…

Drim, drim!

Drim, drim!

His mouth twisted to the side in discomfort. He let out a brief groan of dissatisfaction and, with the blanket still over his face and body, turned to the side, covering his ear to muffle the sound of the clock echoing around the room.

Drim, drim!!!

Drim, drim!

Drim, drim!!!

He opened his eyes immediately, irritated. He knew he should have turned that shit off earlier. Letting out a low sigh, he slowly pulled the blanket off his face and placed it on his lap, squinting as he felt the sunlight hit his pupils. Without looking away, he stretched out his arm and reached for his cell phone, groping around on the table until he found it. When he felt his skin come into contact with the cold glass of the screen, he grabbed the device and put it in front of his eyes, opening one of them and sliding his finger to turn off the alarm.

As he did so, he let his arm fall by his side, dropped the device on top of the covers and pulled the blanket off himself. He slipped his feet into the slippers next to the bed and stood up, walking slowly to the window, closing his eyes and opening the curtains and the window at the same moment. With his action, the sunlight brightened the whole room and the wind hit his face, making the reddish strands of his hair fly gently. 

He took a deep breath, feeling the air enter his nostrils, and let it out through his mouth.

Right, his morning had begun.

Turning away, his eyes fixed on a specific part of the room — because it was a hotel room and not his own, he had only improvised as best he could — and he slowly began to walk there. When he arrived, he took off his slippers, turned his body forward and sat down on the red carpet, crossing his legs.

He took a deep breath for a few seconds, held it and let it out after a short while, leaving his eyes closed.

He stretched out his left arm and placed it lightly on the carpet, then put his other arm up and rested his hand on his head, making it a little heavy and stretching his neck a little. He stayed like that for a few seconds, then did the same thing on the other side, resting his left hand on his head and his right hand on the carpet, taking deep breaths and letting them out all the time.

As soon as he had finished the first part of his morning yoga, he returned to the starting position, crossed his fingers and stretched his arms out in front of him, keeping his chest open and raising his arms wide — while his head followed the movement. His arms slowly went to one side and his head turned to the other, with the movement being repeated once more, but to the opposite side.

When he'd finished, he went back to the starting position again and this time started to get up from the mat, but instead of standing up, he just lay down on his stomach, put his hands next to his chest and lifted his body as he let the air in through his nose and into his lungs. After that, he let out a breath and made his belly hit the mat once more, releasing the air through his mouth afterwards. Unlike the other exercises, which he did only once for each side, he repeated it a few times until he was satisfied and felt that his spine, shoulders and arms were properly warmed up.

As the minutes passed, he did more and more morning exercises; even if he wasn't in a place he was used to, he would still follow his morning routine to the letter. After finishing the yoga, he crossed his legs, placed his hands on his knees and turned them upwards, continued with his eyes closed and took a deep breath, beginning his routine meditation.

Yoga and meditation were the best ways to start the day without any stress and with a totally clear mind. Well, that's what he believed. And if he believed that, then it was right.

When he finished his meditation, he got up from his mat, slipped his feet into his slippers and walked over to a small table next to his large bed. On top of it was a tray with a teapot and two cups, and inside the teapot was a considerable amount of salted kombucha. He gently touched the expensive porcelain and lifted it off the tray, turning it a little and pouring the liquid into the cup. The delicious smell — in his humble opinion — entered his nostrils, which made his body relax even more.

When he decided that the amount was good, he just stopped his action and put the teapot back on the tray. He sat on the end of the bed, stretched out his arm to pick up his cell phone and used the other to pick up his cup. As he turned on the screen — where the wallpaper was the phone's default, after all, he didn't care enough to change it — he brought the porcelain cup to his lips and poured the salted kombucha into his mouth.

His eyes were fixed on his cell phone, which contained the few apps he used. As usual, he slid his finger to the side and reached the iMessage page, clicking on it without any hurry. With very few contacts there, he quickly found who he was looking for.

"Girolan Dabadie"

He clicked on his agent's contact and pressed the phone icon, thus calling him and placing the phone next to his ear. He heard a call for a short two seconds and then it was answered.

— Good morning, Sae-chan! 

Sae arched an eyebrow. 

— Good Morning. Have my breakfast brought in.

A sigh left Girolan's lips. He was more than used to Sae's behavior.

— Right…

— Is there anything important on my agenda today? — he asked, taking another sip.

— Oh, yes. Today, you have a meeting with the Japan Football Union. 

Sae frowned slightly.

— Cancel it. I have nothing to talk to them about.

Girolan's eyes widened a little behind the line.

— Wait, Sae-chan, it's a meeting about the Blue Lock.

Sae arched an eyebrow.

— The Blue Lock?

— Yes. Apparently, they want to invite you to something involving the Blue Lock, although we don't know what it's about yet…

Sae paused for a moment to think while still sipping his salty kombucha.

"What should it be about...?"

— That's fine. 

Girolan gave a big smile.

— Right! I'll send you breakfast, Sae-chan!

Then, without wasting any more time, Sae hung up and took another sip. Setting his cell phone aside on his bed, he turned his eyes to the window, looking out at the blue sky and the birds flying by.

Something interesting was about to happen.

— Blue Lock, huh…

Isagi stretched out his arms and snapped them, along with his fingers. The night before, despite having Nagi on his back the whole time, he had managed to throw him off and practiced a bit before bed. He also had to stay as far away as possible from Shidou, who almost made a mess in his room and in the cafeteria.

That guy was really inconvenient. Perhaps Isagi even spent more time than planned training just so he wouldn't have to deal with Shidou when he got back to the shared room.

As he stretched, he glanced at Rin, who just kept his hands in his pockets and avoided looking at him as much as possible. Isagi let out a short sigh. Now, how to deal with him? It wouldn't exactly be an easy task, but at least he'd have three other people to help him with it.

He took a deep breath and let it out, lowering his arms and moving towards Rin calmly. As he got closer, Rin's head turned in his direction, squinting his eyes little by little.

"This is going to be difficult," he thought, sighing.

— What do you want?

Isagi crossed his arms, undeterred by Rin's manner.

— Have you forgotten that I'm older than you? — he sighed. — Let's try to get along at least a little, Rin.

Rin arched an eyebrow, turned his body and walked over to Isagi, looking down at him. His eyes were half-closed and his frown was furrowed, while Isagi looked up with a serious countenance.

To talk to Rin, it had to be like that.

— Don't think too much of yourself just because you're in the top three, Isagi. Apart from being below me, being older than me means absolutely nothing.

Isagi smiled sideways, uncrossing his arms and placing his hands on his waist.

— Don't worry, your place in the top one is numbered.

A vein of irritation appears at his temple, causing him to arch his back more and lean his forehead against Isagi's. Shut up, lukewarm.

— Shut up, lukewarm. You'll just be one of the first in line to see me at the top.

Once again, Isagi's smile widened.

No matter how many years passed, annoying Rin was still a lot of fun. Before Rin himself got in touch to insult him after Isagi announced the end of his soccer career and cut off contact with everyone, he loved saying things to see different expressions on that face.

A face that brought him a certain nostalgia.

Isagi's cheeks redden slightly.

Suddenly, the door began to open and the other three A-team players entered the field. Isagi and Rin look away and separate their foreheads, with Rin maintaining the same countenance as always and Isagi a little embarrassed. 

There, walking into that place, were Nanase, Hiori and Chigiri, which made Isagi crack a small smile.

"So Hiori and Nanase made it through the first match, huh?"

It was a shame to have to pretend he didn't know them…

— What's up? — he waved his hand, moving away from Rin, who was looking at him with a certain hatred. — I'm Hiori Yo. Nice to meet you. 

— Nice to meet you! — Nanase raised his hand with an excited expression. — I'm Nanase Nijiro!

Isagi just slapped his hand against Nanase's, who smiled and Isagi reciprocated.

— Nice to meet you.

— Humpf. — Rin turned his face away, ignoring Nanase.

— Oh dear…

— It doesn't matter, Rin's just like that.

Isagi looked at Hiori and raised his arm, moving towards him, who made the same gesture and slapped Isagi's hand. Isagi then looked at Chigiri, who had one hand in his pocket and the other tucking a lock of his hair behind his ear.

— I didn't think you'd make the A team, Chigiri.

Chigiri looked at him and smiled sideways, turning towards Isagi.

— How could you not come? I have to finish you off, right?

Before Isagi could reply, Hiori said:

— Team B has arrived…

Then everyone looked at the door, where Team B was entering.

Otoya, Karasu, Raichi, Shiguma and Saramadara.

— You're on defense, right? — Karasu said, turning his head to the side and giving a typical smile.

— Really. There was no discussion.

As soon as they said that, the loudspeakers were turned on.

— "Let's get started! 5v5, the first to score five goals wins!" — Anri began to say. — "The goalkeeper will be Blue Lock Man, as usual!!! The first match of the final stage of the Third Selection, A vs B, begins!"

They went out onto the pitch and took their places, with each team taking one side of the pitch. As standard, Isagi and Rin stood in front of Team A, with the ball lying at Rin's feet.

Isagi took a deep breath and stretched out his arms, trying to focus. He couldn't go too far, but he had to demonstrate a level somewhat similar to what he had shown in the 5v5 against the best in the world. He put his arms around his waist and looked up; in that match, at that moment, as well as having to play well in order to keep his position in the Blue Lock Eleven, he wanted to observe the progress of those boys.

"Please entertain me," he thought, feeling a slight pang in his heart. "If only a little..."

He lowered his head and looked at Rin, who had the usual look on his face.

— Let's go, Rin.

KICK OFF!!

Rin tossed the ball to Isagi with his left foot.

— Shut up and follow me, lukewarm.

With the ball at his feet, Isagi headed down the field. Since it had been a long time since he had played against those people, he had to pay attention to everything, so he activated the vision goal right away. From a distance, he could see that Otoya was moving quickly towards him.

— I won't let you pass.

"Let's start slowly...", Isagi thought, feeling his body collide with Otoya's.

From what he remembered, Otoya was extremely fast and could react quickly to most of the players' dribbles and passes. While he was glued to Otoya, he turned his head several times and moved his eyes frantically to observe everything around him.

When he looked in a certain place, he saw that Hiori was nearby, and before he could ask for the ball, Isagi lifted his right leg a little and hit the ball, throwing it right at Hiori's feet, who was surprised at the precision of that pass.

At that moment, Hiori moved forward, kicking the ball to Rin, who was free. The two began to advance together, dribbling between Shiguma and Saramadara, getting in front of the goal. As Hiori went to pass the ball once more to Rin, Raichi suddenly appeared, letting the ball hit his leg and giving a big smile.

— You're not going to get through that easily, cyan!

— Tsk.

The ball flew out, hitting the field in front of the goal. 

— Get the fuck out of there!

— I'll cut them off — said Saramadara, moving towards the ball as quickly as possible.

He quickly picked up the ball with his left foot and kicked it towards the middle of the pitch, where Karasu was. Watching him carefully, Isagi quickly moved away from Otoya and towards Karasu. When he received the ball, he placed it under his foot, pausing for a moment. 

In front of him was Chigiri and next to him was Isagi. 

— Second-rate defense and playmaking… — Karasu began to whisper — and the other one seems to be pretty quick, as well as having a good physique… — he smiled. — Well done, all set up. Now I have a good idea of them…

Then, in an instant, Karasu shot towards Chigiri - while Isagi followed on the sidelines. Chigiri ran forward to Karasu and came face to face with him. When their eyes met, Karasu stopped, taking hold of the ball. Thinking he was distracted, Chigiri tried to advance and steal the ball, but was unsuccessful, after all, Karasu pushed his body with his hand and brought the ball closer to him.

— Huh?

— Look... — he began to run, followed by Chigiri, who was struggling to keep his balance because of his opponent's greater physical strength — I'm sorry, but I only play when I can win, you idiot.

— Urgh!

He looked serious.

— You see, I'm not one to fight someone's specialty. Instead, it's much easier to beat someone by exploiting their weaknesses. — He let a smile slip. — That's not playing dirty, it's a golden rule in the world of competitions. Together with others you might be good, but on your own, you're a joke, Chigiri Hyouma.

Then he stopped. With the abrupt stop, Chigiri overbalanced, falling to the ground. When he looked up, he saw that Karasu's smile had widened. As he headed towards the goal once again, Isagi suddenly appeared, glaring at Karasu.

— Are you going to lose to a guy like that, Chigiri?

Chigiri arched his eyebrows and looked to the side, seeing Isagi face to face with Karasu.

— Oh, top three — he said, stopping again and keeping control of the ball. — If you want to defend your little friend, why don't you come and try to steal the ball from me?

Isagi arched an eyebrow, keeping his face serious.

"Easy, Yoichi..." he thought, trying to control himself as much as possible, but without leaving any suspicions. "First, let's use Metavision to the fullest, then I'll get more used to it."

— Of course, you damned crow.

Karasu opened his eyes wide and advanced against Isagi. He tried to ride Isagi, but his eyes followed him without any problem, which impressed his opponent a little. 

Karasu tried to dodge him from the side, but Isagi intervened, making him go back to the starting position. Trying to feint one way and going the other, Isagi put his arm in front of Karasu's body, preventing him from passing. 

"Looks like the training I've been doing over the last few days has paid off after all," Isagi thought. "Now..."

Suddenly, then, while Karasu was distracted by Isagi, the ball was stolen by Nanase, who kicked it away. The former ball carrier's eyes widened and he turned his head back to look at Nanase, who had a smile on his face. 

— That's right, Nanase! — Isagi exclaimed, brushing past Karasu and running towards where the ball was. 

Nanase ran in the same direction as Isagi and quickly stood next to him, watching every move he made. 

— I'm here to help you, Isagi-san!

— Let's get past them.

After Isagi said this, he passed the ball to Nanase, who was following him. Knowing that Nanase at that time wasn't that good, and because of the limitations of his own body and what he could do at that moment, he was reducing his speed so that he could keep up with him without any problem. 

Then, at the same moment, the two of them started passing the ball to each other, heading towards the goal. When Saramadara and Shiguma tried to interfere with their momentum, he signaled with his hand for Nanase to speed up. He just nodded and passed, leaving the ball at Isagi's feet. 

—  You're not going to pass, shorty. 

— For someone who's in the top three, you don't seem very clever. 

"Let's test my dribbling a bit against two people in this body," he thought, ignoring his opponents' taunts. 

He stopped and controlled the ball. 

The two of them tried to advance against him, but he kicked the ball aside. Thinking that the two of them had caught him, Isagi went the other way, passing them and gaining control of the ball again. 

Everyone on the pitch's eyes widened at that dribble. 

He got close to Nanase and they both continued running and passing the ball to each other. Before long, they were almost in front of the goal, with Rin next to them and Otoya close to Isagi. 

— You're all right, strange-haired boy. 

Isagi squinted. 

His hair wasn't strange. 

Turning his gaze quickly to the side, with the ball at his feet, he placed his hand in front of Otoya's body. As he did so, he lifted his left leg and kicked hard to the side. 

Knowing where Isagi would send him, Raichi appeared next to Nanase, giving him a sideways smile. He pinned Otoya's body to his, setting him up to catch the ball. 

— You're too predictable, Isagi! — Raichi shouted and then laughed. 

Isagi let out a short laugh, making Otoya look confused. 

— Look straight, asshole. You're marking the wrong person.

With Isagi's words, the two of them finally realized that the ball wasn't going to Nanase, but to... Rin. 

Just as the ball was about to hit the ground, Rin reacted quickly, and then shot the ball at goal, hitting the net and passing through the side of Blue Lock Man's hand, who tried to save it, but failed. 

GOAL!!

1-0

Everyone was stunned by this. 

Their gazes slowly went to Isagi, who had a smile on his face and an aura in his eyes.

So that was the boy who was in Blue Lock's top three.

Chapter Text

GOAL!!!

1-0

The score showed that the game was in Team A's favor, but after scoring the goal... Rin felt something strange in the air. While his eyes were fixed on Isagi, who was just heading towards their side of the pitch, he felt a vein of irritation appear at his temple. Just like in the game against the best in the world, he had scored for the sake of a chance given to him by Isagi.

He wasn't sure why, but... it was disgusting. 

He felt used; manipulated.

For Rin, Isagi was someone who was first in line to see him become the best in the world and surpass his brother, but at that moment, for some unknown reason, he felt inferior to Isagi. And he wouldn't admit that feeling under any circumstances. 

Frowning even more, he clenched his fist and started towards Team A's side of the pitch, feeling his face burn with anger. He had noticed that Isagi was different from his normal self before, after all, he had suddenly improved without any explanation.

After a few steps, he stood in his original place, next to Isagi. He put his hands on his waist and took a deep breath, trying to remain as calm as ever.

Otoya passed the ball to Karasu, who smiled sideways.

Rin wouldn't let himself be manipulated by Isagi again.

He would score without depending on him at any time.

He would devour him once again. 

RESTART!!!

"Now, let's slow down a bit, to even things out...", Isagi thought, activating his Metavision again.

Without wasting any time, Karasu began to advance. His gaze went to Raichi's side and he stopped abruptly, holding the ball under his control. While his opponents watched what he was going to do intently, Karasu just kicked the ball aside, leaving everyone surprised.

Suddenly, the ball landed at Raichi's feet, and he opened his eyes wide in surprise. He looked at Karasu again and he had an intense gaze directed at him.

— Come with me.

Raichi swallowed and gave a nervous smile that showed all his teeth.

"Come on, shitty number 4", he thought, starting to run and kicking the ball to Karasu.

The path to the goal wasn't difficult at all. They both played off each other and dribbled past all the players without any difficulty, which came as a surprise to Raichi, since everyone he played with was... quite tricky, so to speak, which was the opposite of Karasu, who was silent and precise, like a true professional assassin.

However, to Raichi's misfortune, during the passes between the two, his shot was blocked by Rin, who took the ball with his left foot and glared at him, moving on. A vein of irritation appeared on Raichi's temple and he spun on his heels, soon going after Rin. 

Shiguma was already in position to block him, but he just kicked the ball to the left and, when Shiguma went to try and catch it, Rin put his weight on the ball and turned his body, so he threw it to the opposite side, completely deceiving his opponent and passing him.

After he had passed, Otoya and Saramadara suddenly appeared, blocking Rin's path. Without letting Rin dodge them as he did Shiguma, Otoya moved his body like never before, taking several soft steps towards Rin, as light as a feather. Rin can't react and Otoya steals the ball from him and then runs up the side of his opponent's back, as if he were a real ninja because of his flexibility and speed.

— Bang — Otoya says, without really having any reaction on his face.

— Tsk! — Rin muttered, annoyed after losing possession of the ball.

As Otoya deftly passed the players, Chigiri ran alongside him, keeping up with his speed, which made Otoya slightly surprised. 

As he neared the goal, Chigiri tried to put his arm in front of the other player's chest, but he managed to dodge by spinning around Chigiri's back and passing by the side of his body. 

— You're pretty fast, though... — Otoya squints at him for a moment and then turns his gaze forward again — you won't be able to beat me like that, kitten. 

After that sentence, Chigiri's eyes widen and he feels a slight bitterness in his mouth. 

GOAL!!

1-1

Then, finally, Team B scores a goal thanks to Otoya.  

Chigiri falls to his knees on the ground, punching him. He grits his teeth and frowns, feeling the bitterness in his mouth getting worse and worse. When did he become so useless like that? Was his speed no longer enough for him to catch up with his opponents and then defeat them?

Suddenly, Chigiri felt a weight on his head and looked up, quickly being dazzled by the lights on the ceiling and closing his eyes because of the discomfort. Gradually, his sight improves — as he opens his eyes little by little — and he finally realizes who was there.

— Isagi?

When his teammate's name left his lips, Isagi ran his hand through Chigiri's pink hair a little more, while he had a small smile on his face. 

— Is everything all right? — Isagi took his hand off Chigiri's head and placed it on the side of his body. 

Chigiri blinked a few times and clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth, quickly turning his face away, angry, humiliated and disappointed in himself. Was he so fucked up that he needed to be consoled by his teammate and rival? 

— I'm fine — he said, starting to get up from the floor. — I don't need you to console me. 

Isagi crossed his arms. 

— It's not what it looks like.

Chigiri's eyes widened and, as he stood up quickly, he looked angrily at Isagi, who was staring deeply into his eyes. He felt goose bumps all over his body. From head to toe. 

— Shut up! 

Isagi watched him for a while longer, but then let out a short laugh, leaving Chigiri more confused and annoyed than before. Seeing those reactions on his friend's face was really interesting. Chigiri was one of the only ones he kept talking to and, even after retiring, he tried to talk to Isagi about what had happened to him.

Of course, Isagi didn't answer. 

He didn't have the strength to answer, let alone feel worthy of any compassion

When Chigiri had to retire early from soccer because of a torn ligament in his leg, Isagi was there for him. It wasn't an easy time for Chigiri, but because of everything Isagi did for him, he got better faster than he normally would, which made his heart race in an abnormal and completely unfamiliar way whenever he saw his friend. 

However, when it was Isagi's turn to retire without giving anyone a reason, Chigiri tried everything. He went to Isagi's house to try to talk to him, but everything was empty. No matter who he asked, he could never find Isagi anywhere. When he asked Isagi's parents, they just said they didn't know.

Isagi had always blamed himself and would always blame himself for treating his friend like this, but at that moment, he felt he could help Chigiri and redeem himself even a little, even if the Chigiri in front of him didn't know anything about it. 

— You're not managing to stand out, are you? — Isagi asked, putting his hands in his pockets. Chigiri's eyes widened and again the bitter feeling returned, making him lower his head. — Think: Otoya will always be close to Karasu, the same with me and Rin. Even if you stay between us, if you can't keep up, you won't be able to intercept and connect anything at all.

Chigiri was surprised by what Isagi was saying. In fact, if he couldn't keep up with anyone, nothing would make sense and he wouldn't be able to stand out. Of course, Isagi was his rival, so he didn't want any advice from him, but the situation was different from before; Isagi was in the top three, meaning he was far above him. 

Thinking along these lines, he swallowed his pride and raised his head, fixing his eyes on Isagi's. Seeing Chigiri's intense and determined gaze, Isagi felt that he was on the right track with all of this. He pointed his index finger at Chigiri's forehead and continued speaking:

— As their combination is great, if you want to stand out, you can't always focus on the middle of the field — Isagi smiled, making Chigiri see a certain aura in his eyes — try to go to the side and run with everything in the open space. Leave the rest to me. 

Once again, Chigiri's eyes went wide. It was as if a light bulb had been switched on in his head.

As he watched Chigiri's expression, Isagi smiled again and turned around. He stood next to the other and put his arm over his shoulders, which brought them closer together. The action made Chigiri blush. 

— Let's go back to our seats, Chigiri — he said, already dragging him across the field. 

— Hmm... 

He murmured in a slightly uncomfortable and shy way, as it was making his face extremely hot. As they approached the middle of the field, Chigiri could see that Rin was watching him with a more irritated countenance than usual. 

"What's wrong with him?", Chigiri thought, but his thoughts vanished as soon as Isagi let him go. 

The next thing he knew, he was already in his place in the formation and Isagi was following the path, standing next to Rin, who had taken his eyes off Chigiri — much to his delight — and directed them to Isagi himself. Ignoring Rin's strange behavior, Chigiri just took a deep breath and let it out, tucking a lock of hair behind his ear and stretching his arms out. 

"Time to stand out, Hyouma”, he thought, staring at Isagi's back. He smiled. "As usual, you interfering in my life, Isagi..."

Rin kicked the ball on his foot to the side, landing at Isagi's feet. 

RESTART!!!

As soon as the match resumed, Isagi glanced briefly over his shoulder, quickly meeting Chigiri's eyes, and then turned his head forward. After this action, he finally understood that he had to take advantage of the chance Isagi was giving him. 

Of course, for him, having to take advantage of a chance given to him by someone he wanted to reach was completely humiliating, but if it meant pushing himself to the limit, he would ignore the discomfort and do what he could. 

Chigiri took a deep breath and let the air out of his mouth, staring straight ahead and starting to run. He carefully observed all the actions of his allies and opponents, where Otoya marked Rin and Karasu marked Isagi, while the other players positioned themselves in the best way to prevent a goal from being scored.

Isagi, who had possession of the ball, looked at Karasu with a slightly uncomfortable expression. Karasu put his arm in front of Isagi's chest, trying to stop him from advancing; but Isagi wasn't intimidated by the blockade, he kicked the ball aside with his heel.

— I won't fall for such a cheap trick, Mr. No. 3 — Karasu said, smiling sideways and stretching out his leg to catch the ball.

Isagi arched an eyebrow and, with impressive speed, caught the ball with the side of his foot and played it through Karasu's legs. He looked wide-eyed and tried to recover the ball that had passed him, but Isagi stepped to the side and took control of the ball again, but with the opposite foot, thus starting to run forward even faster.

"I'm going to try a bit harder for you, Chigiri...", Isagi thought to himself, squinting at his friend.

As soon as he saw Isagi's gaze, Chigiri felt a shiver run down his spine from the excitement he felt. He didn't really know what had happened, but honestly, who cared? He just had to focus on excelling at that moment and thus securing his place in the Blue Lock Eleven, to play against the Japanese U-20.

Once again, Chigiri took a deep breath and let it out through his mouth. He put strength into both legs and looked ahead, seeing Raichi staring at him with a disgusting smile on his face.

— You won't get past me, madam!

Then, without even thinking, he gave a sideways smile and started running, accelerating as fast as he could. As soon as he got very close to Raichi, Raichi tried to block Chigiri's body with his arm — as well as trying to keep up with his speed — but, as expected, he didn't succeed at all. 

At that moment, Chigiri ran. 

He could perfectly feel the air cutting and hitting his face and his pink strands.

The feeling of being free. 

The feeling of being able to do something using his own weapon.

He could do it.

He could be useful!

He could evolve!

"Come on, Isagi! Look at me!", he thought, glancing at the aforementioned.

His eyes met Isagi's, who understood the message immediately. As he ran towards the goal, he slowed down a bit, then, finally, he kicked the ball hard to the side, which made everyone look confused, after all, there was no one there.

— Where does this guy think he's kicking to? — Karasu said, following the ball flying through the air with his eyes.

Saramadara starts to run to catch the ball that Isagi has kicked, but suddenly someone comes up behind him and jumps, managing to headbutt the ball and knock it to the ground. Before his opponent could react, Chigiri ran past him and once again ran up to the ball, feeling it touch his boot.

— That's right, Chigiri — Isagi whispered, feeling very proud of his friend. Incandescent auras shone in his eyes. — Evolve so that you can get to a level close to amusing me.

Hiori, who was standing next to Isagi, heard his whisper and arched both eyebrows.

Then Chigiri shot straight into the goal.

GOAL!!

2-1

— That's it! — Chigiri planted his feet perfectly on the ground, raising his fist in celebration.

Karasu stopped and watched Chigiri's joy, letting out a sideways smile.

— This guy seems interesting after all.

Chigiri turned his face in Isagi's direction and looked at him with a happy countenance. Without thinking, he ended up walking — almost running — towards him and, when he arrived, he raised his hand, indicating for him to hit it. It took a few seconds for him to notice, but as soon as he did, his reaction was immediate and he slammed his hand down on Chigiri's hand.

— Nice goal — he said, seeing his friend's face redden slightly after the compliment.

— Thanks — he said, pulling up the collar of his shirt and wiping away the sweat that was running down his skin. — Now we need to score three more goals.

Isagi nodded and looked at Karasu and Otoya, starting to think:

"Right, now that Rin and Chigiri have scored, the B team will start to be more careful, especially of me...", he thought, wiping his sweat off with his shirt. "Since I'm the one who's providing a lot of assists for the goals, I imagine they'll mark me more, so..."

It was as if there were several pieces of a puzzle flying around Isagi. His hand was over his mouth and his countenance was clearly pensive, which made the aura around him very intense, even if he didn't realize it.

Even if he wasn't amused — of course, he was holding back too much, so he figured it would happen, even if he prayed that they would amuse him — the current situation was actually quite interesting. It had been a few years since he'd had to put his mind to work in a soccer match, so it was an almost nostalgic feeling for him.

When he played professionally, his mind was 100% focused on everything on the pitch, especially his opponents and their positions and quirks. He liked to use everything to his advantage, as long as it increased his chances of scoring and thus winning the game. On the pitch, people were no different from pieces in a game of chess, which were manipulated by a master at it, namely Isagi.

Then, suddenly, an idea popped into his head.

His gaze, which had previously been on Karasu and Otoya, turned to Hiori and Nanase. He took his hand away from his mouth and started towards where the two of them were standing.

— Hiori! Nanase! — he exclaimed, making them both look at him, and signaled for them to come over to him.

A little confused, they both looked at each other, but nevertheless walked quickly to where Isagi was. As soon as they arrived, Isagi stood right next to them and put his hand to the side of his mouth, so that no one but Nanase and Hiori could understand what he was saying.

Of course, the others were curious and a little confused by Isagi's action, but decided not to question it. After a few seconds, the three of them separated, with Hiori and Nanase looking a little surprised.

— Are you sure about this, Isagi-san? — Nanase asked.

Isagi nodded.

— You can trust me — he crossed his arms — everything will be fine.

Once again, they both looked at each other, but turned their gaze to Isagi and nodded.

"Did I hear wrong...?", Hiori thought, still a little confused. "He doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would say that..."

— When the fuck are you going to talk? — Raichi shouted, drawing the attention of the three of them.

Isagi arched an eyebrow.

— Are you precocious or something, Raichi? — he asked, making everyone's eyes widen. — Learn to wait.

Some people in the camp started laughing at Isagi's words, while several veins of irritation appeared on Raichi's face, and he began to walk — stepping firmly on the ground — over to Isagi, and grabbed him by the shirt, lifting him up. Isagi's countenance remained the same.

— Don't think you're in the top three, Isagi! 

Suddenly, a voice came out of the speakers.

— "Raichi Jingo, no violence on the pitch. Let him go or you'll get a yellow card." — Anri said, making Raichi widen his eyes and let go of Isagi.

— Huh? But he started it! — Raichi stretched out his arm towards Isagi, pointing his index finger at him.

— "Get back in the game!"

Raichi was indignant and looked at Isagi with a clearly irritated countenance, but he clenched his fists tightly and spun on his heels, soon returning to his side of the field. Isagi looked over and noticed that Nanase and Hiori were trying to hide their laughter with their hands. In the end, he couldn't stand it and let out a short laugh, too.

The three of them got together and walked to the middle of the pitch, returning to their positions. Before the match restarted, Isagi put his hands on his waist and took a deep breath, he looked back over his shoulder and saw that they were both looking at him, so he nodded and they did the same.

Time to put the plan into action.

Otoya kicked the ball to Karasu.

RESTART!!!

Unlike before, Isagi accelerated towards Karasu and made him stop advancing.

— Have you decided to get aggressive now, Mr. No. 3?

Isagi didn't answer and just focused on trying to get the ball away from Karasu. At that moment, a battle for possession began. Karasu tried to feint and dribble around Isagi somehow, but his eyes were watching him, so he didn't take his gaze off his opponent or the ball at any time.

"Has he gotten faster or is it just me?" Karasu thought, watching Isagi carefully.

It was as if an intense and dangerous aura was surrounding the two of them. Their feet moved in a way that was hard to explain, and if anyone tried to get close, they would certainly be hurt.

Tired of the intense battle, Karasu grabbed the ball with the sole of his foot and stepped back a little, kicking the ball to the side and causing it to land at Saramadara's feet. Although he looked surprised for a moment, he decided to watch the situation carefully and move on, hoping that Karasu would lose Isagi and take the ball back.

As he ran down the side of the pitch, Saramadara kept his attention fixed on his side, trying to get a chance to pass — and if it didn't come, he would score himself. Karasu then feinted at Isagi and ran past him, managing to throw him off his stride and into the middle of the pitch, close to where Saramadara was.

Karasu arched an eyebrow. 

That had been too easy.

When Saramadara spotted Karasu in the clear, he stopped and lifted his leg to pass. His boot hit the ball perfectly and it started towards Karasu in a low pass, but halfway through, the ball hit someone else's foot, which made Saramadara and Karasu arch their eyebrows.

— Right here — Hiori said after feeling the ball hit his foot. 

Before anyone could think about the ball being stolen, Hiori made his way over and ran the other way. Next to him was Nanase, who kept up with him without any problem.

— Just like Isagi-san said! — Nanase said, smiling.

— Yes — Hiori smiled, passing the ball to his partner.

They both began to pass the ball to each other, dribbling past those who tried to stop them and forcing their way through the attack, and even past their teammates who were impressed — like Rin and Chigiri, who were being duly marked. Within seconds, they were already close to Isagi, who was almost in front of goal.

Nanase, who had the ball at his feet, kicked the ball with the side of his left foot, causing the ball to fly through the air and land almost perfectly at Isagi's feet. Now with the ball with him, he turned his head to the side and realized that the path to the goal was clear, just as he had planned.

He put strength into both legs and ran as hard as he could. Sweat poured off his face and flew into the air, being left behind. He took a deep breath and let it out, doing it a few times. Everything was going according to plan. Everything would work out.

Then he got there. He was close to the goal.

He stopped for a second, lifted his leg and put all the force he could into his foot, then hit the ball. It left the ground quickly, passing through the air beautifully, but...

Pow!

The ball is blocked by Raichi, who uses his face to defend the shot.

— I won't let you score, you piece of shit! — he said while smiling.

Raichi was only focused on Isagi's movements. He didn't know if it was because he was annoyed with him or because he had some kind of bizarre sixth sense, but he just felt he had to run after him as quickly as possible.

However, to Raichi's misfortune, Isagi gave a small smile, which left him confused.

— As usual, a big idiot, right, Raichi?

The ball fell behind the back line.

A whistle was heard by everyone.

— "Corner for team A!" — Anri said over the loudspeakers.

Raichi's eyes widened.

— No way... — he looked at Isagi, who had already wiped the smile off his face. — You did that on purpose, didn't you, you piece of shit!

Isagi, who was walking over to the ball to pick it up and put it in position for a corner kick, looked over his shoulder and arched an eyebrow.

— How could I have guessed that you were coming to block my goal and the ball would fall out? Do you think I'm psychic?

Raichi got even angrier, which Isagi found extremely amusing. Annoying people who were easy to annoy was a good hobby of his.

Isagi picked up the ball and walked to the destination, placing it on the grass and looking ahead. As the players arranged themselves in front of the goal, Isagi looked exclusively at Rin and beckoned him over.

Rin arched an eyebrow and started towards him. 

— What do you want, Isagi?

— Can you do that corner kick for me? You're better at it than I am. — Of course, he had to lie to inflate Rin's ego a little and get his to accept.

Rin widened his eyes a little and found his action strange.

— What are you planning?

Isagi tilted his head to one side, feigning confusion.

— What do you mean?

Rin squinted, but decided that continuing the conversation was a waste of time. He slapped the back of Isagi's head — who let out a low groan of pain and put his hand on the sore spot — and walked over to the ball, standing behind him.

— Let's get on with it.

Isagi blinked a few times and let out a short laugh, already used to Rin's manner. He turned on his heels and began to walk towards the other players. He hadn't really stopped to think about it, but he missed Rin. Even if they weren't... well, friends, Isagi liked being in his company.

Whenever Isagi tried to send him a message — which was very rare — Rin would only reply dryly, but he would answer him anyway, which he considered a step forward in their relationship. Even though they only had a rivalrous relationship, sometimes — when neither of them were busy with their teams — they would go out casually at Isagi's insistence, which almost always resulted in situations... a little too intimate, especially for people who weren't even friends. 

Well, no one could blame them for wanting to resolve any sexual tension between them that way. 

Maybe, just maybe... he could try to get closer to Rin in the timeline he was in. And this time, it wouldn't be limited to casual things. 

Isagi felt his face get a little hot, but managed to pull himself together, then stopped and stood next to Hiori. Rin was staring at the ball while his hand was on his waist. He took a deep breath and lifted his leg. Like the flow of water, calm and delicate, he struck the ball perfectly, with the ball flying over the players' heads.

Isagi knew Rin like the back of his hand. 

He knew he wasn't going to shoot for someone else to score.

So, all said and done, the ball began to curve in the air, heading towards the goal. The Blue Lock Man even tries to save it, but he can't and the ball majestically hits the net.

GOAL!!

3-1

— Wow... — Nanase whispered, impressed.

— So that's the top one, huh… — Karasu said and Otoya nodded, agreeing with him.

— I don't think I could ever kick like that — Hiori said, letting out a short laugh.

As everyone returned to their seats, Hiori and Nanase stood next to Isagi.

— It went exactly as you planned, Isagi-san! — Nanase exclaimed excitedly.

— How did you know he'd be there and end up in a corner kick?

Isagi just shrugged.

— It was just a hunch. I'm lucky it worked out — he said and picked up his pace.

"That's not something that could be considered a hunch...", Hiori thought, watching Isagi walk away. "Who is this guy anyway? He'd have to be top two at least to be able to think of things like that..."

Back in their seats, Karasu took a good look at Isagi, analyzing him.

"This guy is dangerous," he thought and turned his head to the side.

— Hey — Karasu whispered, making Otoya look at him.

— Huh?

— Let's play away from him — he pointed at Isagi with his thumb.

Otoya arched an eyebrow and looked straight ahead again.

— Even though I hate taking orders from you, I have to agree. 

Karasu passed to Otoya, touching the ball with the side of his left foot.

RESTART!!!

Karasu ran to the side and Otoya did the same. Just as Rin went to try and block Otoya, Otoya used his heel to throw the ball over Rin's head and passed through the side, catching it. 

— Tsk! — Rin clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth and spun on his heels to go after his opponent.

Isagi arrived at Rin's side, trying to help tag Otoya, after all, he knew well that he was a difficult opponent for just one person to tag.

— Let's mark him, Rin.

— I didn't ask for your help.

— Shut up and accept the help, you stupid kid — he let slip and regretted it at the same moment.

Rin arched both eyebrows and glared at Isagi, but he looked away and picked up his pace, stopping in Otoya's field of vision. Rin shook his head from side to side, deciding to ignore the insult for a brief moment. He tightened his pace and stood next to Isagi, preventing Otoya from passing. 

Without thinking too much, he just kicked the ball with the inside of his boot, making a long pass, which fell slowly at Karasu's feet. So as not to give Isagi or Rin time to react, he put strength into his legs and ran as hard as he could. Behind him was Chigiri, who was trying to catch up with him and prevent any chance of scoring, but Karasu saw it coming and looked to the side, seeing that Raichi and Shiguma were running in the center of the field — while Hiori and Nanase were trying to mark them.

Seeing a chance there, he kicked it to Shiguma. As soon as he had possession of the ball, he accelerated his run and felt Nanase's arm being placed in front of his body, but as their physical sizes were different, it wasn't too difficult for Shiguma to get past him, just tipping the ball over his head and catching it on the other side.

Chigiri and Karasu ran side by side.

— You're pretty boring, huh, kitten.

— I'm a man — he frowned. — I won't let you pass.

Then, at that moment, Karasu began to try and dodge Chigiri somehow.

— Are you that confident that you've managed to score a goal? — he smiled sideways, starting to run forward, with Chigiri blocking his chest and running alongside him. — Are you so happy to have scored at Isagi Yoichi's expense?

Chigiri squinted his eyes, annoyed.

— Shut up, you stupid crow. I'm not falling for your bullshit.

Karasu's smile widened.

— Oh, no? Too bad.

Suddenly, Karasu began to force his way through, which made it difficult for Chigiri to keep up, after all, he was a little taller and stronger than him. As expected, Karasu managed to break through Chigiri's defense and moved on, leaving his angry and frustrated opponent behind.

Shiguma soon realized that Karasu was free and kicked the ball to him, which quickly reached him. Already in front of goal, he stared at the Blue Lock Man, anticipating his movements. He made a feint, pretending to shoot with his left leg, but shot with his right, which was enough to fool the goalkeeper.

The ball hit the net perfectly.

GOAL!!!

3-2

Karasu smiled sideways.

— That's it.

— Tsk — Rin clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth, annoyed.

Isagi wiped his sweat with the collar of his shirt as he watched Otoya and Karasu slapping their hands together. He loosened his shirt, took a deep breath and let it out, putting his hands on his waist and throwing his head back.

"What a drag..." he thought. He was starting to get tired and all this was making his head hurt, but he made his way to the middle of the pitch with the others. Although it was minimally interesting, it was boring. Having to limit himself so much was extremely unbearable. "Now that I've let the kids play, it's time to get my reward."

Rin, who was standing next to him,'s eyes widened when he saw that there was a slightly different aura around Isagi — which didn't go unnoticed by his opponents. 

He kicked the ball to Isagi and, as before, he took off running more than usual. 

RESTART!!!

Karasu and Otoya were alert and went over to Isagi together, deciding to double-team him.

— Nanase!

Nanase's eyes widened when he was called, but he understood the message and ran to Isagi's side, where he kicked the ball with his left foot to his teammate.

— Mark him! — Karasu shouted, keeping his teammates on their toes.

While Karasu was slightly distracted, Isagi didn't miss the opportunity and made a feint, pretending to go one way and going the other. Almost immediately they both followed him, but Isagi did the same as before and passed them on the other side, which caused them to collide and fall to the ground.

— Watch where you're fucking going! — Karasu shouted, annoyed.

— Shut up — Otoya squinted his eyes, getting angry too. 

As Isagi hadn't even touched them, it wasn't a foul, so the game continued without any problem.

Nanase, who was being marked by Raichi, spotted Hiori and passed to him with great difficulty. Even though it was a weak pass, Hiori managed to catch it and went over to Isagi. Together, the two begin to pass the ball back and forth between Shiguma and Saramadara, who end up being left behind.

Isagi's breathing was extremely labored; the tiredness was beginning to show. It was clearly the effects of using Metavision for the entire game, without stopping for hardly a second. 

His muscles were aching. 

His head was throbbing and his vision was becoming slightly impaired because of the sweat.

"Fucking limited body," he thought, gritting his teeth in anger.

Even with the limits of his current body, he would overcome them with his technique and intelligence. 

After feeling the ball hit his foot because of Hiori's pass, Isagi looked ahead, with only him and the goalkeeper. His eyes focused on every possible spot so that the goal wouldn't be blocked. It was as if the target of a gun was focusing on everything at once. 

When he finally managed to see the ideal spot, he used what strength he had left and kicked the ball towards the goal, aiming right for the corner, where he was sure the Blue Lock Man wouldn't catch it.

All said and done, the ball hit the net.

GOAL!!!

4-2

Isagi stopped and put his hands on his knees, bending his body and breathing hard. Drops of sweat fell to the synthetic grass below him, and he felt a pain in his chest. 

"Well, at least I've done well using Metavision straight up until now..." he thought, trying to recover.

— Isagi-san! — Nanase shouts and runs over to him, along with Hiori.

— Are you all right, Isagi? — Hiori asked, putting his hand on his companion's back, visibly worried.

Gradually, his breathing became "normal" again, so he decided to stand up slightly. With one hand on his waist, he brought his free hand to his forehead and flicked his bangs back, letting out a sigh. When he realized he was feeling a little better, he looked at them both.

— I'm fine, relax — he said, wiping the sweat off with his shirt. 

— You were amazing, Isagi-san! — Nanase exclaimed, with a twinkle in his eye and smiling from one side of his face to the other.

— It's true — Hiori said calmly. — The way you managed to fool Karasu and Otoya was brilliant.

Isagi blinks a few times and feels his face turn red.

"Am I a teenager or what the fuck?" he thought, but then realized that he was, in fact, a teenager now.

He forced a cough, which drew a brief laugh from Nanase and Hiori. Rin, who was watching from afar, didn't know how to feel about the situation. So far, he hadn't managed to score anything other than the chances given to him by Isagi, which was extremely annoying.

"What happened to him?" Rin thought, biting his lower lip.

Even though they were winning, it was frustrating. 

Everyone returned to their positions and Team B began to get slightly annoyed with the way the game was going. Team A was almost cruising to victory, while they were down to half their points.

"This guy is controlling us like we're his puppets," Karasu thought, taking a deep breath and letting it out. "Well, there's nothing to be done about that. We have to watch out for both of them, so we have to play carefully."

— Let's slow down now, Otoya — Karasu whispered, looking at his companion next to him. 

— Good. 

Even though he didn't like taking orders from anyone, he knew that it was extremely necessary to do this in order to have a chance of winning. 

— Let's get this over with, Rin — Isagi said, snapping his fingers. 

— Shut up. I'm going to score the last goal, Isagi. 

— Dream on. 

Otoya kicks with the inside of his right foot to Karasu, who receives the ball perfectly on his foot. 

RESTART!!!

This time, it's Rin who's heading towards Karasu. Karasu smiled as he watched Rin's cold expression. 

— Mr. No. 3 has decided to quit?

— Stop thinking about that idiot Isagi. Your opponent is me, you fucking crow. 

Rin went towards Karasu and put his arm in front of his body, stretching his leg out behind his and trying to catch the ball. Not preferring to take any chances at that moment, Karasu gave in and gave a short pass to Otoya, who managed to get control of the ball without any problems. 

Chigiri wasted no time going over to Otoya, along with Hiori, and the two of them tried to set him up. Seeing the two in front of him, Otoya decided to stop and watch. Of course, he felt that he could pass them both if he tried, but Isagi could appear and steal the ball at any moment, so it was better not to risk it. 

Otoya spotted Raichi free and decided to shoot for him. 

— Time to show off my sexy soccer!

Raichi advanced, but was soon intercepted by Rin, who had Karasu on his tail. Karasu decided to move away from Rin and signaled for Raichi to throw the ball to him. He begrudgingly kicked it over Rin's head, taking a long step and causing the ball to fall a little in front of Karasu.

Karasu tried to reach the ball as quickly as possible, but suddenly Isagi appeared and grabbed the ball. Karasu's eyes widened and he stretched out his arm to grab Isagi's shoulder so that he could deconcentrate him and take the ball from him, but Isagi managed to react in time and used his elbow to stop Karasu's action. 

Isagi, tired as he was, tried to use a little more of his brain to think about what to do. Karasu was in front of him, Rin was being marked by Raichi, Chigiri and Hiori were marking Otoya, while Nanase was alone against Shiguma and Saramadara. 

Well, I had no choice.

— Come on, Karasu — he said, starting to pedal with his remaining strength and agility. 

Karasu smiled sideways. 

— Looks like you didn't run away from the fight, huh?

Isagi tries to throw a pen at Karasu, but he manages to block it and catch the ball. At the same moment, Isagi is able to predict his next move and takes control of the ball once again. Karasu was being extremely careful, and Isagi couldn't blame him at all, after all, even though he was holding back, he was aware that he was a danger on the pitch.

Isagi looked at everyone on the pitch once more. Having a limited body was too annoying, as he had to depend on others at times like these. He took a deep breath and let it out, as he calmed down and thought about what he could do. At the moment, his best weapon was his brain. He had to get past Karasu somehow. 

Then, suddenly, he thought of something that might work. 

He started to run and Karasu followed him closely, but Isagi had something else in mind. As he ran, he used one of his feet to pass the ball behind him. Before Karasu could catch it, Isagi used the heel of his other foot and went the other way. 

— Tsk!

"I'm glad it worked," he thought, relieved. 

Isagi ran as fast as he could. He looked at Hiori and Nanase, signaling for them to follow him. Hiori stopped marking Otoya and left him with Chigiri, going to Isagi's side, who passed the ball to himself. 

— Play with me, Hiori. 

— Go ahead. 

They started passing between themselves. When Shiguma and Saramadara tried to intervene, Hiori passed to Nanase, who was finally free to play. Then, at that moment, their triangulation began. 

Otoya was trying to get out of Chigiri's way, but he was using all his strength to stop him. Rin, who had already got rid of Raichi's marking with some ease, was running after them in frustration. It was he who was supposed to score the last goal, not Isagi. 

The Blue Lock Man was waiting anxiously for the shot that would come his way, but Isagi saw it coming and, when the ball was passed to him one last time, he just touched it with the tip of his foot. The goalkeeper thought it would be a shot into the corner of the goal, but he was completely fooled by Isagi. 

The ball flew past the keeper and into the net. 

GOAL!!

5-2

The final whistle resounded around the place. 

— "Game over! The final score is 5-2! Team A wins!" — Anri spoke into the microphone with some excitement. 

Isagi took a deep breath. It was finally over. 

— Isagi-san! — As Isagi wiped away the sweat, Nanase ran towards him with his arms out and threw himself at him, causing them both to fall to the ground. — You're very good! 

— Ugh... — Isagi felt dizzy, but slowly looked down at Nanase, who was sitting on top of him. — Can you get off, please? 

Realizing his position, Nanase blushed and stood up quickly. 

— Sorry! — He curtsies, which makes Isagi let out a short laugh. 

He lay on the floor on his stomach. 

— It's all right. 

— You look tired, Isagi — Chigiri said, coming over to his friend. — Is everything all right?

Isagi nods, taking a deep breath. 

— I need to rest — he gets up and sits on the floor. — Then there's the match against Team C. 

As they interacted, Rin walked steadily towards them. When he arrived, he grabbed Isagi's arm with some force — even scaring him with it — and pulled. 

— What the fuck, Rin?

Without giving an answer, he just pulled Isagi harder, making him stand up and practically dragging him off the field. The others looked on with some trepidation.

— Should we intervene? — Nanase asked and Hiori denied it. 

— They say you can't pick a fight with a husband and wife, right? — Hiori laughed briefly, accompanied by Nanase. 

Chigiri's worried countenance didn't change at any point.

Chapter Text

The wind was blowing through the dark skies, where there were no clouds, you could completely see any stars shining and some birds were flying through the air and singing happily. It was very late at night, so the streets were not very busy, even if walking around Madrid wasn't exactly dangerous, as it's one of the safest places in Spain.

At the Mandarin Oriental Ritz Hotel — the best and, perhaps, the most expensive in Madrid — there were all the first and reserve team players from the big teams that were going to play each other the following day. Of course, the comfort was immense and the service was top—notch, but, as expected, the price of a night's stay was not something anyone could afford. Both teams loved to splurge as much as possible.

Isagi let out a tired sigh. 

His skin shivered from the cold air conditioning in the room, which was certainly a nuisance for him. But he couldn't complain, right? It wasn't his room, so he didn't have that much power over it. He removed the arm that was over his eyes and looked away, seeing that the place really was quite luxurious. Well, it wasn't as if he had a very different room, after all.

Once again, he sighed.

He turned his body sideways and put both hands under his head. He had to play the next day, so he was pretty discouraged. The routine was getting more and more repetitive and he just wanted to cry, but he tried to keep his posture like the grown man he was.

Maybe, just maybe, that would be his last game.

Retirement was the best option.

Both for him and for everyone else.

Isagi looked over his shoulder to see Rin, who was lying next to him and fiddling with his cell phone. His countenance was as calm and serious as ever, but that was something Isagi liked about him, even if he wouldn't admit it. Isagi couldn't imagine how Rin would react to this. Would he be happy to have one less rival in his way? Would he be angry that he had abandoned everything he had achieved?

Well, it didn't matter.

— What was it? — Suddenly, Rin asked without taking his eyes off his cell phone.

Isagi blinked a few times, surprised, but let out a short laugh. He turned his body again, but this time to the side where Rin was standing. Isagi's eyes traveled all over Rin's body, seeing him only in his underwear and without any marks on his body — and he always thought it was a sin to leave Rin's body unmarked. Well, his body was in almost the same situation, the only difference being that he had a few marks on his buttocks — Rin had no pity for that part of his body — and on his waist.

His gaze returned to Rin's face.

— Nothing...

— I know you want to say something. Just spit it out, lukewarm.

"Urgh... Always so aggressive”, he thought.

He let out a sigh and leaned his head back on the pillow, sad.

— Rin, do you find soccer fun?

Rin arched an eyebrow and finally took his eyes off the cell phone, leaving it on his torso and looking at Isagi with a certainly confused look on his face. When their eyes met, Isagi regretted asking.

— What kind of stupid question is that?

Isagi's face grew hot and he snorted, looking away.

— If you don't want to answer, just ignore it like you always do!

Isagi turned his body away again, but still felt Rin's gaze on his. Rin had acted like this ever since they had met — at the Blue Lock — and he found it very difficult for him to change in any way. Well, it wasn't as if he really wanted Rin to change, since... well, he reminded him of someone.

He swallowed and pushed the thought away.

It was extremely disrespectful to think of him at that moment. It also left a bitter taste in Isagi's mouth.

— I just want to be the best in the world and that's all, I don't have to find it amusing — he said, making Isagi's eyes widen a little. — The soccer field is a battlefield.

Then, at that moment, Isagi fell silent.

It was clear that Rin would answer that.

"To be the best in the world, right...", he thought, letting out a short, sad, anasalated laugh. "I wish I could dream about that again..."

He took a deep breath and let it out. He got up slowly and sat on the bed, noticing Rin's confused look in his direction. He pulled the blanket off his body and, with impressive speed, sat on Rin's lap and smiled sideways.

"Well, I'll think about retirement later...", he thought, running his finger down Rin's chest.

— You're very strange — Rin said, looking down at his hand, which Isagi himself was guiding to his waist.

— Shut up — Isagi said, moving closer to Rin's face. He felt a tightening around his waist and his hand slowly began to descend. 

Rin's gaze dropped to Isagi's lips and, within seconds, they were kissing.

Maybe it would be the last time, so... he'd take what he could get.

Isagi's eyes widened as he was pinned against the wall by Rin. He stared at him with extremely dark and angry blue eyes, his arm resting next to Isagi's head on the wall. In moments of anger, Rin was always a little violent with him — not on the level of physical violence, of course — which he had gotten used to over time, and this would be no different.

Previously, they had both met for the last time on the soccer field, where their teams had faced each other and, fortunately, Isagi's team had won. It was a great game; intense and full of emotion. But for Isagi, the end of that game only made him certain that he really had to retire. 

He had always loved the moments when he played with Rin, so having him there, in front of him, made his chest ache a little. Even though they had been on the same team before and were teammates on the third team, Rin had never looked at him intensely like that. Besides, having him so close, remembering so many things at once, he just felt... a certain urge to hug him?

Isagi didn't know exactly why, though. 

Was it the regret of leaving him so suddenly, as he had done with the others, screaming louder in his mind? He felt his body shudder at the thought, along with the saliva that ran sparsely down his throat. Isagi hadn't had much time to think about it over the last few days, so it all came as a bombshell, out of the blue?

In fact, his life in soccer was something he constantly avoided thinking about, whether in the past or the future. And, well, right now, he had to focus on Rin, and not think about things that were painful for him. He looked up, staring at Rin and trying not to wince at any moment.

He wasn't worthy of having any thoughts like that, since he had always been a complete asshole. 

— What the hell do you want? — Isagi asked, very happy that his voice didn't waver at any point.

Rin's frown deepened. It was abundantly clear that he was very angry, especially as Isagi wasn't at all afraid of his action. So, at that moment, he put his forehead together, looking down at Isagi with a more intense gaze than before.

Okay, maybe Isagi shivered a little, but Rin didn't need to know that.

— What the fuck was that?

Of course Rin would ask at some point. In fact, he was surprised that he had managed to wait so long to question Isagi's sudden improvement.

First, Bachira, who noticed right away that he looked slightly different and told him so, but Isagi managed to evade the subject. Secondly, Aryu and Tokimitsu. The two of them bothered him for a long time until he managed to get them to lose interest. Thirdly, Nagi, who was extremely direct, but Isagi managed to throw him off with a half—hearted excuse.

However, the person in front of him was none other than Itoshi Rin, one of the people he admired most, both for his intelligence and his skills. He wouldn't be so easy to fool with lame excuses.

— Be more specific. 

A vein of irritation appeared at Rin's temple. His free hand quickly went to Isagi's face, holding it and making sure he didn't look away at any time. 

— Don't think I'm an idiot, Isagi — he squeezed his cheeks tighter. — What did you do to get better so quickly?

Rin's voice was slurred and full of different emotions. Irritation, confusion, contempt and... fear ? The last left Isagi extremely confused. Even though Rin's countenance expressed only his irritation and contempt, deep down in the tone of his voice, Isagi could recognize something akin to fear. 

Was Rin afraid?

Of what, exactly?

Isagi never knew how to find out what was going on in Rin's head, since he had always been a bit inexpressive and, the few times he did express something, it wasn't exactly good. The only things that made him "snappy" were those related to his brother, and that thought made Isagi's eyes widen a little. 

But that didn't make sense, after all, the current Isagi had nothing to do with Sae! 

Before he could think of anything else, Rin squeezed Isagi's face tighter and brought his own closer, looking at him more intensely. 

— Answer me, Isagi!

What was Rin's problem anyway? What was he so afraid of? Why was he so desperate to know why Isagi had suddenly gotten better?

They were unanswerable questions, but in all honesty, Isagi didn't know if he wanted them. He had no moral standing to question Rin's motives, since he himself had never been anyone true and good to Rin. 

A sideways smile appeared on his face, making Rin look confused. His arms — which were at his sides — slowly rose, his hands going to Rin's chest. Isagi could feel all the muscles behind that sweaty shirt tense at the sudden touch. 

Putting a little strength into his arms, Isagi pushes Rin away from him. Without letting the other do anything about his action, he pushes him to the wall opposite the one he was on before and joins his body to Rin's, standing between his legs and looking down at him. 

In an instant reaction, Rin's cheeks reddened. 

"Let's start the process so that I can get closer to Rin," he thought, raising his height by standing a little on tiptoe. "First..."

— You want to know why I got better, right? — He tilted his head sideways, widening his smile. Without being able to control it, Rin's eyes went straight to that mischievous smile. — So let's play a game, Rin.

— What the hell are you talking about? — he asked in a whisper, even thinking about pushing him and taking control of the situation, but for some reason he couldn't even move.

— If I manage to steal your place as top one, you'll stop bothering me about it and you'll owe me a favor. — His eyebrow arched as soon as the words left Isagi's lips. 

— Don't dream so big, lukewarm. You won't make it. 

Isagi rolled his eyes. 

"Children..." he thought, letting out a short laugh. 

— Well, in case I don't make it... — he stood on his tiptoes, his forehead touching Rin's and his smile stretching from one side of his face to the other — I'll tell you everything you want to know, and I'll do whatever you want. 

Rin's eyes went wide for a moment. 

Satisfied, Isagi broke away from Rin, standing in the middle of the corridor. He stared intensely at Rin, who didn't lag behind in his intimidation. It was an interesting challenge, and he was sure he wouldn't lose. 

— Get ready to tell me everything, without leaving any details out — he gave Isagi a superior look — as well as turning into my dog. 

Isagi let out a short laugh and turned on his heels to leave, turning his back on Rin. He raised his hand and waved it from side to side, as if to say "See you later" to Rin. 

The winds whipped strongly at his face, while his eyes were locked on the bright moon in the sky and the stars that shone so beautifully beside him. 

Peace. 

Even though it hadn't been that long — just a few days — since he had retired, he felt an indescribable peace. Even though the desire to be alive was minimal, he was better off not having to force himself to do something he no longer enjoyed. 

His dream had a tragic ending, but he had to understand that it was reality. Not all dreams come true for whatever reason. 

In time, everyone would understand and accept it. 

Biting down lightly on the lower lip of his mouth, he took hold of the brim of his cap and pulled it down a little, blocking the beautiful view he had previously had of the moon and the stars in the sky. 

It was tiring having to ignore everyone. 

His parents...

His friends...

His fans...

His team...

"Damn..." he thought, feeling his lips sore from biting them. 

Suddenly, he heard his cell phone vibrate. 

It hadn't been unusual lately, after all, his early retirement had been something of a shock worldwide. And he couldn't blame anyone but himself. 

His fingers lightly touched the phone and he brought it close to him. With his other hand, he removed his cap from his field of vision and opened his eyes, staring at the screen. 

When he realized who had texted him, his eyes went wide. 

It was Rin. 

There was only one message, which was a lot, since he hardly spoke to his by message. 

He clicked and unlocked his cell phone, opening the conversation to view the message. 

Regret came immediately as he read the message sent to him. 

"Coward"

Isagi knew what he meant. Of course he did. 

A sad smile appeared on his face. 

— I think I'll change my number... — he whispered, and clicked on Rin's user name. He was wearing a photo of his team shirt. In a few clicks, he blocked Rin, just as he had done with many others. 

That was the best thing for him and for everyone. 

"I'll push you as far as I can, Rin," he thought, smiling gently. "It's the least I can do to redeem myself, right?"

Then he disappeared into the darkness of the corridor.

Chapter Text

Anri was still staring in amazement at the various screens in front of her. No matter how many times the moves were repeated, it still felt like the first time she had seen them. Every dribble, every pass, every perfect position; even for Anri, who wasn't the greatest soccer expert in practice, she knew it was top-notch stuff.

Then there was Itoshi Rin. From the start of Blue Lock, he had shown himself to be of a higher standard than most of the other players in the project. Of course, she took into account that he was Itoshi Sae's brother, so his level would certainly be a little higher, but... Well, Rin had shown that he was much higher than expected.

There were also Otoya and Karasu, who were exceptional players, but not even close to Rin's level. She was sure that both of them would be extremely necessary players in the match against the Japanese U-20s, regardless of the final result of the third team.

However, the strangest and most curious case so far was Isagi Yoichi. He had been a candidate hand-picked by Ego, since Anri herself didn't see any value in him being a striker; now she saw that she was completely wrong. Of course, it was noticeable that he adapted quickly to situations and had an incredible soccer IQ, but the evolution between the match against the team of Rin, Bachira, Aryu and Tokimitsu, and the match against the best in the world was, in fact, something completely abnormal.

When his sudden performance was shown, she was excited to see what he would show next; and of course she wasn't disappointed in the slightest. His pace was slow at first, but as the game progressed, she could see that everyone on the pitch was completely in Isagi's hands. He controlled them as if they were his puppets.

She looked with an excited smile at Ego, as she pushed the clipboard against her chest and squeezed it with some force.

— What did you think of their performance, Ego-san?

He sucked hard on his instant noodles, even causing some of the broth to fall onto the table. Normally, Anri would be irritated and disgusted, but at that moment, she was so excited that she couldn't even think about such trivial things.

— It's a fact that some of them evolved during this match — he tapped his wooden chopsticks and began to chew his food. — Chigiri Hyouma managed to stand out and scored a goal using his weapon, as well as the help of Isagi Yoichi.

Anri shook her head excitedly. She looked again at one of the screens, where Chigiri was, looping his goal.

— Indeed!

— But it wasn't just the pass — he looked over his glasses — it was noticeable that he had helped him and made him realize what needed to be done.

Anri's eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't realized that detail. Only Ego could perceive something as detailed as that.

— Isagi Yoichi's sudden improvement is impressive...

Ego's eyes turned to a screen where Isagi was shooting at goal, but unfortunately — or not — the ball hit Raichi in the face and went out. It was clear to him that it had been planned. Raichi's movements. The trajectory of the ball. The fact that the ball had a chance of falling out and resulting in a corner kick.

Everything was strictly calculated by the boy with the little sprout on top of his head.

He knew well that his eyes were not deceived when they saw Isagi. He had the aura of an egotist, as well as an incredible ability to adapt. In just two matches, he could see his great ability to control the situation. It was as if he could predict the next move of anyone on the pitch.

What's more, his physical abilities had improved considerably. Even though he got tired towards the end of the match, he managed to maintain great consistency in everything. Even if he couldn't show his emotions easily, he was, in fact, impressed by this boy.

It was certain that something was wrong, but he wouldn't do anything about it now.

He would just observe how far the Blue Lock boys and the "new" Isagi Yoichi would go.

Isagi fixed the bandana that kept his hair from touching his forehead. If someone looked quickly, they could easily mistake him for Nanase, since he used the same object as Nanase. A few hours had passed since the match against Team B, so Isagi could still feel his body aching a little from the effort he had made.

At the moment, he was sitting on the floor of the monitoring room, watching the various screens on which his moves were played. His eyes were fixed and totally attentive to every move he made, after all, he had to analyze what needed to be improved in the short time he had. His life would be so much easier if the game took place the day after, or even better, two days later.

A sigh left his lips.

He threw himself on the floor, getting the blue strands scattered around.

First, he realized that his positioning was more than optimal. Using his years of experience playing as a professional, it was the easiest part, after all, it didn't depend entirely on his physical condition. Secondly, because of the training he had done over the last few days, his speed and strength had increased minimally. It wasn't exactly ideal, but he could manage.

He crossed his leg over the other while swinging his foot.

In the next match, he would have to face Nagi and Shidou — the thought of having to face the latter made his face look clearly displeased. Shidou was inconvenient off the pitch as well as on it, and his unpredictability was indeed annoying. Even his older self didn't know how to deal with him at times.

Nagi was a simpler case. Despite being an improvisational genius, because they were such good friends and had played many times during their professional lives, he could think of ways to stop Nagi. He was very good, but he often needed help from his teammates with passes and the like, so he could put his genius into practice.

A smile left Isagi's lips.

He really missed playing and talking to Nagi. Whenever he went to his house — which was always messy and, in the end, he had to tidy it up himself — they ended up having a lot of fun. Sometimes they even received visits from Reo — when he wasn't busy with his own career — and Chigiri — especially after his retirement — which resulted in a house full of life.

Isagi missed when he could have fun, especially with his friends.

His smile gradually died, so he let out a sigh and jumped up, sitting cross-legged.

He wondered if he really deserved the friendship of such incredible people...

His eyes turned again to the screens in front of him.

At the moment, he had to better optimize the use of Metavision. Even though his body was a little more accustomed than before to using it all the time, he still couldn't hold out until the end of the match. His vision blurred, his head and body ached, and he felt very tired. The last time he felt like this was when he was learning to use this "skill", when he was 17, in the Neo Selfish League.

It was a great time, after all, he learned a lot of things from the Bastard München team and, above all, from Kaiser. A smile left his lips. It was still some time before he and Kaiser met in that timeline, as the Neo Selfish League only took place after the match against the Japanese U-20.

He put his hand over his mouth and let out a short laugh.

Isagi was definitely excited for the League to arrive, even though he was also for the match against the U-20 and Itoshi Sae. Of course, he was really looking forward to seeing Sae again — even if he hadn't even met him yet and, above all, he still had bad memories — but the idea of playing against someone at New Gen level was really exciting.

Even if the New Gen were below his level, it was still a much greater challenge for the current Isagi, who had a completely inferior physical capacity to them.

Roonncc!!!

Suddenly, Isagi's stomach rumbled and he felt his cheeks grow slightly hot. Exerting himself too much always made him hungrier than usual. He had eaten before the game, but he felt as if he hadn't eaten for a whole day.

Besides, he needed a shower. He had been so preoccupied with the match and his moves that he hadn't showered. A sigh left his lips. He got up from the floor and picked up his water bottle, bringing it to his lips and swallowing the water as he felt it pass down his throat. With that, he turned on his heels and walked out the door, which opened as soon as he got close.

After finally eating, Isagi was finally in the changing room. He was a little grateful that there was no one in the cafeteria at that time, as he could have some peace. After the match against Team B, Isagi didn't see anyone other than Rin, which was a bit confusing since they must have been tired from the game too.

Maybe he spent too much time in the monitoring room?

Or was he just a lot more tired than the others?

Well, either way, it made sense. Because he wanted to improve himself as quickly as possible, he ended up focusing a lot on his limitations while he was observing how he played when he was in the monitoring room. And the others in the Blue Lock — as far as he knew — didn't have Metavision, so it was normal for him to be more tired, both because of his "less athletic" body than the others, and because he had to think more than them so that he could manipulate everyone in his favor to win the game.

A small smile left his lips.

He quickly remembered seeing Rin in a training room as he made his way to the locker room. He had learned to be someone who went to great lengths to encourage his opponents to evolve and thus devour him, so that Isagi could then devour them back. Whether it was through simple gestures, teasing or even some flirting — even something more; if it meant forcing others to evolve, he would do it.

Seeing Rin trying so hard — even if he didn't say it outright — was satisfying. He was definitely curious to know what kind of magnificent move he would show his. Rin had always been someone Isagi admired, so he couldn't hide his happiness at seeing him strive to surpass him in something. Especially being the 16-year-old Rin, and not his adult Rin .

"Coward"

As soon as the word appeared in his thoughts, the small smile that had previously been on his face died.

His chest ached.

Shit.

On one of the only days he had off — as he worked in a convenience store, he had very few days off, as he worked from Sunday to Sunday — Isagi was lying in bed playing with his cell phone. Sometimes he hated working there, but it was the only decent job he could find in such a small place, so he couldn't complain too much.

Turning sideways in bed, he opened his Twitter account. Since retiring, he'd stayed well away from social media, but since it had been a while — especially since he'd changed his number — he'd imagined that everything would be quieter as far as the news was concerned.

Well, he was wrong.

As soon as he opened Twitter and looked at the trending topics, he regretted it bitterly.

Isagi Yoichi

56.1 thousand posts

Retirement

23.9 thousand posts

Lack of consideration

19,800 posts

Affairs with Isagi Yoichi

He knew he shouldn't care, after all it was his decision and, like it or not, he wouldn't go back and everyone should accept it.

He knew he shouldn't care...

He knew...

So he clicked on one of the topics of the moment.

"No one has yet found out why Isagi retired?"

"Isagi Yoichi is a complete idiot. He had money, was in the best team in the world and could get any woman he wanted! But, no, he threw it all away and didn't even give a plausible explanation! He's lost a fan!"

"The problem wasn't that Isagi retired, but that he didn't give any explanation. I wonder what happened."

"I always thought that guy thought too much of himself! He doesn't deserve the fame he has!"

Isagi's eyes were shaking.

His teeth came into contact with his lower lip, where he was biting down with a certain fervor. Perhaps it bled a little.

His thumb — which was trembling — goes to the off button. As soon as the screen went off, he brought his cell phone up to his forehead and closed his eyes, feeling his breathing quicken slightly with each passing second.

— What the hell?" he whispered, clutching the device tighter in his hands.

"Not now, damn it..." he thought, becoming slightly desperate.

He knew where memories like that led, so he rested his forehead on the icy-blue cabinet, looked down at the floor and took a deep breath.

"One... Two... Three..."

He breathed in through his nose and held it for a moment, then let it out through his mouth. Pausing, he counted in his thoughts to calm down.

His chest was still hurting.

Once again.

"Four... Five... Six..."

He did the same thing as before, feeling his chest rise and fall in a slightly accelerated manner.

He needed to calm down as quickly as possible, or someone could arrive at any moment.

He took another deep breath.

"Seven... Eight... Nine... Ten..."

His left hand passed over the surface of the cabinet, then he felt the slightly chilly metal with his fingertips.

He needed to feel everything around him while slowly controlling his breathing.

Once again, the air came in through his nose and out through his mouth.

At the moment, it was necessary to think of good things.

Pow!

Pow!

Pow!

While his eyes were glued to the screen in front of him, Isagi could hear the noise of the characters' blows and the buttons on the controller that he was frantically pressing. Next to him was Nagi, who looked as bored as ever, even though he was enjoying watching Isagi try so hard to beat him at the game.

Pow!

Then, in a single blow, Isagi's character fell, ending the round and, once again, resulting in his defeat. He twisted his mouth to the side and threw the controller on the bed, throwing himself backwards as he closed his eyes.

— I'm done!

Nagi looked at him sideways and put his controller on the small table next to the bed.

— You still suck at this, Isagi.

Isagi puffed out his cheeks and crossed his arms, looking away.

— Shut up! — His cheeks instantly reddened. — You're too good at this!

Nagi blinked a few times.

He put his legs on the bed and turned his body, then crawled over to Isagi and looked down at him, taking a good look at his friend. Even though he was unmotivated all the time, sometimes Nagi felt a slight motivation coming whenever he played with Isagi.

If beating him would leave Isagi with such cute and beautiful features, he would certainly do it all the time.

— Do you want me to take it easy on you? — Of course he wouldn't.

Isagi turned his head and fixed his eyes on Nagi.

— Of course he wouldn't! That would be no fun, Nagi!

Nagi made an X with his mouth and looked away.

Isagi blinked a few times, but then let out a short laugh, putting his annoyance aside.

— Hahaha, I really love spending time with you, Nagi! — he said, wrapping his arms around his friend and hugging him.

Nagi's eyes widened and his cheeks flushed slightly.

Without realizing it, he closed his eyes and relaxed too much, then let his body fall onto Isagi's, which startled the other.

— Nagi?!

A tiny smile began to form on Isagi's face.

"Eleven... Twelve... Thirteen..."

Gradually, he felt his breathing stabilize.

He always felt calmer when he realized that his relationship with Nagi had never changed. In fact, as time went by, they became closer and closer. Their friendship was something extremely special to him.

Isagi took his hand off his chest and took another deep breath.

Everything was going to be alright...

Time travel had given him a new chance to start all over again, so he couldn't ruin anything.

— Isagi?

Suddenly, Isagi heard his name being called and looked away.

Grayish eyes, messy white hair, a height much taller than his own and, above all, the reason he had managed to calm down at that bad moment.

He wasn't perfectly well, but he would do his best to smile. Even if Nagi didn't know how much good it did for Isagi, he was still immensely grateful.

Isagi really always felt very safe when he was around Nagi; he felt a peace he couldn't explain.

Taking another deep breath, Isagi turned to Nagi and looked him in the eye.

— What's up, Nagi?

Nagi blinked a few times and raised his arm, bringing his hand to his messy white hair, then scratched his head lightly.

— Are you all right?

Isagi was surprised by the sudden question. Even when they were older, Isagi could fake it and fool Nagi when he wasn't well — or thought so, at least.

Once again he put on his best smile and nodded.

— Of course — he turned on his heels to take his shower, taking one step after another. He couldn't give Nagi a chance to ask anything, after all, even if it didn't seem like it, he could be clever when he wanted to.

Still a little suspicious, Nagi scratched his index finger on his cheek, but followed Isagi, after all, they were going to the same place.

Isagi wiped the soap over his body with a small blue cloth while he felt the water he had previously poured on himself pass slowly over his skin. His muscles were a little tense, but he knew they would feel better when he got into the hot water of that public restroom.

As they were in a sort of separate area from the other Blue Lock players, where only the top six players were, there was no one there other than Nagi and Isagi himself. It was a relief, honestly. If Rin had been there, not only would he not have been able to look at him properly, but he would also have been stared at, which he wasn't in the mood for at the moment. In the case of Otoya and Karasu, there wasn't exactly a problem since they had never been close, but he felt he would be questioned about something if he were with them.

Well, that left Shidou.

He would definitely like to avoid being in the same environment as that disgusting pervert, especially being in a bathroom where he could see Shidou without any clothes on.

A shiver went through his skin.

He really wasn't interested in seeing Shidou naked.

He would leave it to someone else, even though it was uncomfortable and disgusting.

Thinking of that other person...

"I wonder how he's doing," he thought, closing his eyes as he felt the soap bubbles go down into his eyes. Even though they were on the same team, after the situation that caused them to drift apart, they hardly spoke to each other — and when they did, it was very uncomfortable for Isagi. Isagi wanted to maintain a friendly relationship — even if it was minimal — in some way, but it always hurt and would always hurt, especially when he saw him with him.

Isagi let out a sigh and turned his body to the side. He bent his back a little and held a small bucket in his hands, pouring the water over his head. The drops of water fell to the wet floor, while Isagi wiped his eyes with the back of his right hand. When the soap finally came off, he opened his eyes and looked away, seeing Nagi staring at him.

Isagi arched an eyebrow.

— What is it, Nagi?

Nagi blinked a few times.

— You look cute with your hair like that.

Isagi's countenance quickly changed from confused and curious to embarrassed, as his cheeks instantly turned red.

— Why all of a sudden?! — he asked, standing up quickly so that Nagi couldn't see his embarrassed face.

Nagi watched him without saying a word. Hoping not to be left behind, he picked up the small bucket of water next to him and poured it over his head. As soon as he felt the water hit him, he shook his head — making the bathroom even wetter than it already was — and got up to go after Isagi.

— It's the truth — he said, watching Isagi get into the hot tub and put a small towel over his head. — And I thought you'd be happier if I complimented you.

Isagi's eyes widened at the revelation and he turned his head to stare at Nagi. His countenance was as serious as ever as he climbed into the tub and stood next to Isagi.

It wasn't exactly a surprise that Nagi should suddenly say something like that. He had always been a person who said what suited him and came to mind, after all he didn't care about anything, least of all what people thought of him. That was a quality that Isagi really admired in Nagi, because sometimes he cared too much about what people said about him.

It had been a long time since he had been praised like this.

His heart beat a little harder than usual.

A small smile appeared and an even redder hue took over his cheeks. He brought his right leg up to his chest and placed it on it, then rested his face on his knee and ran his arms lightly over the leg next to him — not forgetting the blue strands falling over his wet face and sticking to his totally immaculate skin — which made Nagi's eyes widen a little.

In his eyes, Isagi was... Fuck, he didn't even know how to describe this guy. It should be a crime for someone to be that attractive. Nagi swallowed.

— Thanks, Nagi — he smiled a little more and his eyes were almost closed.

Before Nagi could reply, the sound of footsteps began to resound through the almost empty bathroom.

Toc, toc, toc…

Toc, toc, toc…

Curious, Isagi pulled his face away from his knee and turned his head back to stare at the owner of that annoying noise. As soon as he realized who it was, his face twisted in disgust.

That blond hair with the tips dyed pink...

That tanned skin...

Those eyes with the pink irises and pupils of a cunning cat...

And, above all, that disgusting smile that made Isagi want to vomit...

Shidou Ryuusei.

— Urgh...

Nagi looked at Isagi slightly confused.

— What is it, Isagi?

Isagi took the towel off his head and got up from the bath. Nagi was even more confused as he watched him get out of the bath — with the towel on his shoulder — after all, there was no reason for him to leave at that moment, since they had just gotten in.

— Isagi?

As Shidou walked further into the room, Isagi stopped briefly and looked over his shoulder at Nagi. He gave him a small smile — which Nagi instantly realized was fake.

— I have to get ready for the next match, Nagi — he turned forward again and kept walking. — We're going to play each other, right? Don't let me down, genius.

Nagi's eyes widened at his friend's words.

With a serious look on his face, Isagi walked towards the bathroom door. He felt he was getting closer and closer to Shidou, but tried to ignore his presence there.

"We'd better stop this, Yoichi."

— Tsk.

Suddenly, he felt his body stop and he looked away, seeing a hand with tanned skin gripping his shoulder with some force.

— Hey.

As soon as he heard Shidou's voice enter his ears, he felt a shiver run through his body.

Isagi would never admit it out loud, but that guy's voice affected anyone who heard it.

"Act like an adult, Yoichi," he thought, taking a deep breath and trying to control himself.

— What?

Isagi raised his head and looked at Shidou, seeing that he was staring at his with a smile on his face.

— Do you think I haven't noticed that you've been ignoring me since we first met? — his smile widened instantly. — It's not very polite to ignore your opponents, is it, number 3?

Isagi arched an eyebrow.

"Annoying as always."

— I don't know what you're talking about. — He begrudgingly grabbed Shidou's arm with his left hand and ended the contact that had previously existed between them.

Shidou let out a short laugh.

— You're very bold and interesting — he ran his tongue over his lips as he looked Isagi up and down. — I like that.

Isagi's face twitched at the look he received from Shidou.

He tried to ignore it and walked back towards the door, but decided to stop briefly. He looked over his shoulder with an aura in his irises, which made Nagi look slightly surprised and shiver, and Shidou smiled wider, letting out a whistle.

— Anyway, get ready — he said, feeling his blood boil —, because it's not Rin you have to worry about, it's me.

Nagi's eyes widened and Shidou couldn't keep the smile off his face.

— I'm looking forward to it, Isagi Yoichi.

Isagi walked back to the exit.

Maybe he'd found a little motivation to try a little harder in the next game.

Chapter Text

Hiori took a few steps towards the door of the monitoring room. After taking a warm and relaxing bath, he felt a little less tired from the last match he played, so he decided it would be a great idea to watch the second game of the third team — that is, team A against team C.

As soon as he set foot near the door — which was much bigger than him —, it opened automatically. The light from the various screens surrounding the room illuminated everything, and with slow steps, Hiori entered the room while passing the towel over his wet cyan hair. His eyebrow arched when he noticed the presence of someone there, sitting in the middle of the room.

— Nanase-kun?

As if he had been caught red-handed, Nanase gave a brief jump of fright — while still sitting — and slowly turned his head back, which made Hiori let out a brief laugh seeing the situation of his former teammate. When he saw that it was Hiori there, he felt his cheeks get hot, becoming nervous.

It wasn't like he was doing anything wrong, but...

— He really is amazing, isn't he? — Hiori said, shifting his gaze between the screens as he walked deeper into the room.

At that moment, Nanase was watching Isagi's various plays in the last match. Hiori wouldn't judge him for that in any way, his performance during the game was exceptional, even he had been curious about it all. Seriously, were they really the same age?

Nanase scratched his cheek in an embarrassed way and let out a brief laugh, but nodded and turned his body forward again. In just a few seconds, Hiori had grabbed a pillow from somewhere in the room, placed it next to Nanase, and sat on it.

— Yes… — he smiled shyly, focusing his gaze on one of the screens. — Isagi-san really is very good. When he was on the field, I felt like he was manipulating everyone in his favor.

For a moment, Hiori said nothing.

In fact, he had the same impression. On the screen showing the beginning of the game, Isagi used Nanase's help to dribble past Karasu without losing the ball and, after that, get past two more players and even manage to trick Otoya and Raichi so that Rin could score a goal beautifully.

He manipulated everything from the beginning, even if it was in a more subtle way at the beginning of the game.

On another screen, Isagi was passing to Chigiri, who was about to score. Seeing that, a peculiar memory of Isagi appeared in Hiori's thoughts. The image of Isagi looking at Chigiri with an intense gaze and saying:

"That's right, Chigiri. Evolve so that you can reach a level where you can have fun."

Even though it was just a whisper and Hiori wondered if he was crazy — he realized that, no, he wasn't crazy — he couldn't forget that scene during the entire match. Isagi Yoichi was a factor that aroused Hiori's curiosity, so he wanted to closely observe all of that boy's actions. Unfortunately for him, they only got to play once, however, he had hope that they could play as teammates again, in the game against U-20, if he managed to get through.

“Besides…”, he thought, turning his gaze to another screen.

Of all the plays made in that match, that was, in fact, the most intriguing and intelligent orchestrated by Isagi. He purposefully used everything on the field to his advantage and managed to predict that Raichi would be in such a position and, thus, managed to hit the ball to him and take a corner kick. Looking at it again, he thought how absurd that play had been, as it could not have been a “guess”.

“Isagi-kun is quite interesting…”, he thought, turning his gaze to Nanase.

— What do you think of Isagi-kun, Nanase-kun?

— Hmm? — He turned his head towards Hiori and tilted his head to the side, slightly confused.

— I mean, as a person, not as a player.

Nanase was still confused, but he placed his index finger and thumb on his chin, thus giving him a thoughtful expression.

— Hmm… — Nanase closed his eyes as he raised his head, still thoughtful — We didn't talk much, but… Is he nice? — He smiled. — Unlike Rin-san, he treated us very well from the beginning, besides being very friendly, intelligent… — Nanase’s smile didn’t diminish at all.

Hiori blinked a few times and let out a brief laugh, which made Nanase realize that he was talking too much. His eyes widened and he blushed completely, then he put his hand over his face and tried to hide it, but Hiori decided to tease him and gave him a mischievous smile. He stood up a little, put his knee on the ground and his hand on the side, and got his body and face very close to Nanase.

His sadistic side needed some fun at that moment.

— You really liked Isagi-kun, huh? — His smile grew and Nanase turned to him, becoming even more embarrassed for having been caught. — What would he think if he saw you speaking so highly of him, Nanase-kun?

Nanase's face turned the color of a tomato.

— I-I...

Hiori puffs out his cheeks and walks away with a loud laugh. The towel ends up falling to the floor while he holds his own belly and laughs at his classmate. Nanase becomes even more embarrassed, kneels down and puts his hands at his sides, thus turning to Hiori.

— And you, Hiori-san? What do you think of Isagi-san as a person?

Hiori slowly stopped laughing as he looked directly at Nanase, who was clearly eager to take away any compliment Hiori had given him regarding Isagi and manage to embarrass him as well.

He sat down on the cushion again and picked up the controller, after all, the second match was about to start.

— I don't disagree with anything you said — he gave a simple smile. Even though Isagi was someone very mysterious to him, he was really very nice. — I would like to be friends with Isagi-kun.

Nanase's eyes widened a little, but he smiled and nodded, sitting next to Hiori and fixing his eyes on the screen in front of him.

— Next time we meet him, let's try to get closer to him! — He raised his hand and looked at Hiori, who looked at him in surprise.

A few seconds passed, but Hiori let out a brief laugh and raised his hand, colliding it with Nanase's.

— Of course. — He turned back to the front and pointed the controller at the screen, clicking the button to switch to the camera of the game between Team A and Team C. As soon as the screen changed, it was possible to see the two teams, each one on one side of the field preparing for the game.

Hiori picked up the towel from the floor and put it around his neck. Then he bent his spine and rested his elbows on his legs, while crossing the fingers of both hands and staring at the screen. He felt that this game would be interesting, and analyzing the game of someone from the top 3 would make him evolve in some way, so he was excited.

“Let's see what you'll do, Egoist…”

Isagi was irritated.

That whole scene in the bathroom was something that wasn't in his plans. Damn, he just wanted to take a shower and relax a bit, was that too much to ask? Maybe it was a bit stupid of him to be like that because of an idiot like Shidou, but he didn't care, because even if he wasn't exactly the same guy he was used to, he knew very well that this Shidou would do the same thing as his future self.

— Tsk.

His tongue clicked on the roof of his mouth and he put his hands on his waist. Taking a deep breath for a moment, his eyes turned towards the other players. The match was about to start, so everyone was getting ready to play, but he decided to observe for a while and organize his thoughts. He still felt tired in his body, in addition to the stress he had been through in the locker room, so using Metavision for a long time was completely out of the question.

First, optimize his energy. He would only use Metavision when it was absolutely necessary. When he used it for the first time, back in the match against Manshine City, he ended up fainting due to exhaustion. He found out that Kaiser had held him after he almost fell to the ground — in a very rough way, so to speak — and ended up taking him to the infirmary. A smile left his lips. He didn't want to faint again because of his carelessness, so he would be careful.

Second, he would have to be patient. Both with his own team and with the other team. He raised his arms and directed the index and middle fingers — of each hand — to the sides of his head, and gave it a quick massage. It wasn't enough to have to deal with Rin — who would be even worse because of the little game proposed by Isagi — on his team, now he had another problematic one; that is, Barou, the most narcissistic person in Blue Lock — at the moment, since Kaiser wasn't there yet. He also had the company of Kiyora and Aryu on the team, which he was very grateful for, because they would at least balance the level. On the other team was Shidou — which was already a problem in itself —, Nagi, Reo, Igaguri and Yukimiya.

Third, it might even be a trivial problem for anyone else, but it meant a lot to him: his bangs were bothering him once again. He felt his still slightly wet strands hitting his forehead, which didn't help much when it came to following his reasoning. He already had enough problems, so having to deal with something like this was a pain. Whenever he got too stressed, he ended up taking it out on others, so he should calm his nerves.

Sighing, he opened his eyes and turned his head in the direction of where Aryu was. He turned on his heels and started walking towards his teammate. He felt that some eyes were being directed at him, but honestly, he didn't care at all, so he just went on his way. In a short time he reached his destination, so he raised his hand and called out to him:

— Aryu!

As he ran his hand through his hair and had his hand on his waist, he glanced sideways at Isagi.

— Hmm?

— Do you have anything to tie your hair up? A clip or something — he asked gently.

Aryu raised an eyebrow, confused and surprised, but decided not to question. He took his hand out of his hair and tucked a strand behind his ear, then quickly reached into his uniform pocket and pulled something out. When he pulled it out, it turned out to be a white headband, similar to the one Nanase often wears.

He stretched out his hand with the headband toward Isagi, who smiled broadly.

— I knew I could count on you — he took the headband and quickly directed it to his head. — Thanks, Aryu.

Isagi quickly slipped the headband over his head and left it on his neck, after which he lifted it up and, with his other hand, lifted his bangs, so that he could properly place the headband on his forehead. When he did that, he let go of his bangs and fixed his hair a little, finishing the “hairdo”.

Everyone on the field fixed their gaze on Isagi.

Nagi’s eyes widened slightly — as they shone — and his cheeks reddened, in addition to his breathing having stopped for a brief second; Rin arched one of his eyebrows and quickly looked away, trying to focus only on his thoughts and the goal of beating Isagi in that game; Reo looked at him with some discouragement, as he noticed Nagi’s admiring expression in his direction, and clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth; and Shidou let out a loud whistle, and began walking towards Isagi and Aryu with his hands in his pockets.

Aryu, who until then had only been looking at Isagi without saying anything, moved closer to him and held his cheeks with both hands, thus bringing him closer to his own face and staring deeply into his eyes. Isagi widens his eyes in a somewhat confused and frightened manner.

— What…

— You look absolutely glamorous, Isagi! — he exclaimed, pulling his face away and putting his arm around his neck, then pulled him closer and pressed Isagi's face against his chest. — Splendid! Majestic! Fabulous! — he placed his hand on his forehead and pushed his long, black locks back. — Totally GLAM!!

Isagi blinked a few times, still a little dazed by what had happened. He glanced sideways at Aryu, seeing him acting strangely — as always — and raised his hand to grab his wrist and free himself from his grip, however, it was no use.

Where had that come from?

His beauty wasn't exactly that impressive. He had always been desired by many people during his football career — so much so that he had dated several people in the meantime, whether they were his friends or not —, so he knew he was at least somewhat attractive. When he grew up and became an adult, he started to take better care of himself, and this gradually made his appearance even more pleasant than before, but those compliments were totally exaggerated in his eyes, especially since he was in that body, with that appearance of a 17-year-old teenager.

He arched one of his eyebrows and patted Aryu's arm twice, which made him look at himself.

— Don't exaggerate — he ended up being released, even against Aryu's will. — I just put on a bandage, it's nothing big.

Aryu blinked a few times, and before he could say anything, Isagi had his chin pulled to the other side. Everyone was surprised by that action, but Isagi noticed who did it here and, besides being surprised and confused, he was irritated.

Shidou looked at him with a disgusting smile on his face. His eyes were fixed on Isagi's lips, who had a look of disgust on his face. He tries to put his hand on Shidou's chest and push him away, but suddenly he feels his waist being grabbed and his body joins Shidou's, who is still looking at him maliciously.

— He's not exaggerating — he whispered, licking his lips right after. — You really irritated me, but I can't disagree that you're really attractive.

— That's disgusting, let me go — he said with disgust in his voice and tried to push him away once more.

Shidou's smile widened.

— Let's see then… — his face got closer. — If I score better than you, Mr. Top 3, then you'll go out with me.

Isagi narrowed his eyes.

— No way. Let me go. 

— Are you scared?

— I won't fall for that cheap provocation, Shidou.

Suddenly, without him being able to answer, Isagi was pulled by the waist by Nagi, while Barou and Rin looked at Shidou angrily.

— Enough of this nonsense — Barou said, his voice stiff, as he looked at Shidou in disgust. — Let's get this shit started already.

— Huh? You have quite the harem there, don't you, Isagi Yoichi? — Shidou teased while smiling.

— Shut up, disgusting insect — Rin said, looking at Shidou with a superior and irritated look.

He let out a laugh and turned on his heel, looking at Isagi over his shoulder.

— Let's see if you're really all that, Egoist. — His gaze was filled with an insane aura, as if he could kill someone at any moment. — I hope you're able to make my cells explode in this match.

Isagi narrowed his eyes and clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth.

— You're not wasting your time, weird cockroach.

He smiled one last time and walked to his side of the field.

— Are you okay, Isagi? — Nagi asked, watching him walk away.

— Yeah — he gave a small smile. — Thanks. — He turned towards Barou and Rin, who were looking at him sideways. It would be nice to tease them a little. He gave a sideways smile. — I didn’t think you guys would defend me. It was kind of cute, in a way.

The two of them widened their eyes at the same time.

— Stop talking shit, Isagi! Let’s just get this over with.

Isagi let out a smile and nodded.

In a few moments, everyone was face to face on the field, staring at each other.

Reo, who was next to Nagi, took a deep breath and put his hands on his hips. First, his gaze fixed on Isagi. Some time had passed since Nagi left him to be with Isagi, so the pain had subsided a little, but it was still frustrating.

He bit his lower lip hard and tightened his fingers on his waist.

The look Nagi was giving Isagi, all the concern he had for him, all that desire to surpass him; Reo didn't want to express his feelings about it, but it was undeniable that he was envious. God, he wanted all that to be directed at him, and not at Isagi Yoichi.

Reo looked at Nagi and turned towards him.

— Nagi.

— Huh? — Nagi looked at him with some disinterest.

He would prove that he was the only one who deserved to be with Nagi.

It wouldn't be Isagi or anyone else, just him.

In that game, on that field, he would surpass Nagi and Isagi, and thus prove that he could be a better player than both of them, too.

— You better watch me carefully — he said as he stretched his arm.

Nagi's expression didn't change.

— Sure.

On the other side of the field, where team A was, while stretching his arms, Rin called Isagi, who was next to him.

— Lukewarm.

Isagi glanced at him sideways. He knew it was him, after all he was already used to that characteristic nickname of Rin's, so he wouldn't even complain about anything. Complaining about something to Rin was the same as talking to a white wall.

— Huh?

— Don't forget that you won't beat me. Get ready to be my dog, Isagi.

A smile left Isagi's lips, as he felt the soccer ball, which was at Rin's feet previously, touch his boot with a little force.

— If you want me by your side so much, just ask, Rin — his smile grew. — Let's go, future ex-top 1.

KICK OFF!!

As soon as the match started, Isagi looked ahead with the ball at his feet. Reo watched Isagi's every move carefully, while the other players were marked by their opponents. He had to save his energy to crush Shidou, so he would take it easy at first.

Isagi took a deep breath and stopped, holding the ball with his back foot.

Reo raised an eyebrow.

"Isagi...", he began to think, narrowing his eyes and getting closer to him, "I don't know what you did to get to the top 3, but I won't let you win this!", he bit his lower lip and stood face to face with Isagi, attentive.

With a calm expression, Isagi continued to hold the ball. With a small touch with the inside of his left foot, he threw the ball to the other foot, threatening to go that way. Reo tried to be faster and reach the ball, so he stretched his leg towards it, however, Isagi predicted that and used the side of his right foot to pass the ball through Reo's legs.

“Is Reo still mad at me? He must not have made up with Nagi yet…”, Isagi wondered. “He’s underperforming and seems a bit irritated…”

As he did so, Reo’s eyes widened, Isagi passed by him and he managed to quickly retrieve the ball. Clucking his tongue, Reo turned on his heel and started running towards Isagi, and when he got close, he tried to steal the ball again. In an instant, a brief dribbling battle ensued. Reo tried to gain possession and stretched out his leg to catch it, but Isagi used his heel to throw the ball behind him, then used his other foot to get it back.

The two stopped facing each other, staring at each other.

Reo could see that Isagi's center of gravity was more stable, as if he was saving energy and avoiding unnecessary movements. He moved the ball as if it were attached to his foot, demonstrating exceptional control, in addition to giving light touches while periodically changing his supporting foot. He maintained possession of the ball without lowering his upper body, which made his movements difficult to predict.

"What the hell happened to him?", Reo thought, completely surprised.

Seeing that Reo would not take the first step, Isagi then decided to act. With infinite possibilities to dribble him and move forward, he began to move his right leg with the ball in his possession and took a deep breath, fixing his gaze directly on Reo. When he felt that gaze on him, he could not help but feel slightly irritated. It was as if to say: "Come on, steal the ball from me already."

Reo advanced on Isagi, but he kicked the ball with his left foot and hit the right side, while passing his opponent on his side. Isagi glanced at him sideways and saw that he had a devastated expression on his face. For a brief moment, he felt a little sorry for his former friend, but he knew that this frustration would help Reo reach another level.

It took a while for Reo and Isagi to become friends, but a large part of that was Nagi's fault, who didn't care about anything Reo had against Isagi and made them grow closer by constantly going to his house — of course, without realizing it. As time went by, Reo realized that Isagi was actually a nice and fun person, and during a party — between Manshine City and Isagi's team — where they both got drunk and ended up in bed in Isagi's room, he was finally able to understand why Nagi liked him so much and was so obsessed.

After that day, Reo ended up becoming a little obsessed too. He always did everything he could to make sure Isagi didn't feel strange, but he started going to Nagi's house more often just to see him and share some moments with him. Sure, he loved spending time with Chigiri, Nagi and Bachira, but with Isagi it was something special that he had never felt for anyone, and when he finally decided to tell Isagi that, boom, he retired and disappeared from everyone's lives. He tried to be strong, especially for his friends, who were visibly devastated, but he was completely broken inside.

Isagi was sorely missed.

Isagi put his hand on Reo's shoulder — who looked at him sideways with wide eyes — and whispered:

— If you keep chasing Nagi like this, Reo, you'll never evolve.

Reo raised his eyebrows and watched Isagi pass by.

As soon as he got away from Reo, Isagi observed the field and activated his Metavision. Rin was marked by Shidou, Aryu was marked by Yukimiya, which left only the options of passing to Kiyora or Barou, who were free. He looked forward again, and saw that Nagi was standing still, waiting for him to arrive, while Igaguri was close to the goal.

It was a slightly interesting situation.

He had three options: first, pass to Barou and have a great chance of having his goal stolen by him, who was too egoist to pass the ball back, especially if the person was Isagi; second, he could pass to Kiyora and try to force the pass past Igaguri and Nagi, which wouldn't be a big problem; third, he could simply face the two and score without any assistance.

Of course, the last option was the one that fed his egoist mind the most, however, he had to save his energy, and it was certain that doing something like that would require a bit more of his body. Well, it wouldn't be nice to crush those two right away either. If he was going to kill the flies buzzing in his ear, it had to be done in a slow and torturous way, so that they could learn their lesson.

Finally, he stopped running.

The answer to which option to choose was more than obvious.

He deactivated his Metavision and raised his right leg. In a few seconds, his foot cut through the wind with force, the boot collided firmly with the soccer ball and sent it flying through the air, heading in the opposite direction to where it was. Before they could think straight, Isagi continued on his way, running towards the goal, but suddenly the ball fell at Kiyora's feet, who widened his eyes a little.

But it didn't take much reasoning, because the most logical way to stand out on that team was, in fact, to play alongside Isagi Yoichi. Kiyora never let himself be carried away by feelings or emotions, he always looked for the most logical and egoist way to play, which always led to success in his plays. So at that moment, Kiyora’s egoist ideology chose Isagi to support, which Isagi easily predicted.

— ‘Kay.

Without further ado, Kiyora widened his eyes and put strength into his legs. With the ball at his feet, he took a step forward, running faster so he could reach Isagi and give him a perfect pass. He could feel the veins appear clearly and prominently on his skin, in addition to the wind blowing hard on his face and the smell of synthetic grass entering his nostrils.

Seeing Kiyora approaching, Igaguri became nervous and swallowed hard, but tried to concentrate to be able to block the pass. When he got in front of Igaguri, he kicked the ball with his right foot to the left and ran towards it, then, without much effort, picked it up again and continued forward, passing by Igaguri. The latter widened his eyes in disbelief and tried to hold his body with his hand, but he didn't expect that, as soon as he touched Kiyora, his blocking attempt would result in nothing.

Even though he was of average height and didn't have a particularly muscular body, he was strong. His muscles were well trained and cared for, so he could easily finish off enemies who underestimated his body's strength.

His eyes turned to the side and saw that Isagi was there, followed by Nagi. The frustration of having lost to Nagi's team earlier was still somewhat rooted in his heart. Even though he tried to forget about it and move on, his egoist mind told him that he should finish off Nagi right now and ignore Isagi. However, contrary to what his egoist part wanted, his logical part told him that he should pass to Isagi and leave his "revenge" for another time.

So, he passed.

His boot came into contact with the soccer ball, sending it flying through the air.

As the ball got close to Isagi, Nagi approached him and waited for the ball to fall. Isagi looked at him sideways and saw that he was waiting for the ball with him, so he decided to do something that was unexpected for Nagi. Putting strength into his legs, he pushed off and jumped as high as he could. Lately he had been practicing jumping for situations like this, since he himself was not very tall. Nagi's eyes widened and he even tried to jump, but the difference in time between the jumps made a difference, because even though Nagi was much taller than Isagi — about 20 cm —, Isagi jumped first, so he would be able to catch the ball first.

Sure enough, the ball hit his chest and began to fall. Anticipating, Nagi stretches his leg to reach the ball before Isagi, who fell first, but Isagi anticipated that movement, so, without thinking much, Isagi puts his hand on Nagi's face with some force — which made him lose his balance and fall — and, instinctively, catches the ball with his left foot, using it to take it to his right and using his direct kick, with his right leg — even though he was in an uncomfortable position for it —, making the ball hit the net.

GOAL!!

He lands on the ground and watches the ball fall. When he turns his head to the side, he realizes that Nagi was on the ground and finally realizes what had happened. His eyes widened and he ran towards his friend, soon stopping next to him and looking at him desperately.

— Sorry, Nagi! Are you okay?! — he asked, running his hand over Nagi's forehead, which was a little red.

His head was hurting a little from the fall, but he managed to look at him from the corner of his eye with one eye open.

— You really don't have any pity, Isagi — he jumped up from the ground, sitting down and running his hand over his forehead, thus pushing the excess hair back. — Besides, you never stop impressing me.

Isagi blinked a few times.

— Nagi! — Reo exclaimed, running quickly and kneeling next to his friend. — Are you okay?

Nagi glanced at Reo for a moment.

— I'm fine, Reo.

— But…

Nagi started to get up from the ground while Reo and Isagi's eyes followed him.

— Be careful, Isagi! — Reo exclaimed, glaring angrily at Isagi. — Are you fucking crazy?!

Isagi sighed, starting to get up from the ground, too.

— I know, I know…

— “Isagi Yoichi, yellow card!” — Anri exclaimed over the loudspeaker, which attracted everyone’s attention. — “Team A’s goal has been disallowed! The ball belongs to Team C.”

Once again, Isagi sighed. In the end, it had all been for nothing. Even if Team C didn’t manage to score with the free kick, they missed a goal, so it wasn’t a good situation for Team A.

Well, he would recover later.

When he looked ahead, he saw Kiyora walking towards him.

— Sorry, Kiyora — he put his hand in front of his face, symbolizing an apology. — You sent me an incredible pass, but I ended up fouling…

— Don’t worry. As long as you’re the most logical option, I’ll keep passing to you.

Isagi's eyes widened a little, but he let out a brief laugh. He and Kiyora had never been very close, but he had always admired his skills, especially when they played for Bastard.

— You're really straightforward, aren't you? — He crossed his arms. — You're really good, so I'll try to meet your expectations, Mr. Fringe.

Kiyora's eyes widened a little, but he gave a brief smile. That was one of the only times Isagi had seen Kiyora smile, so it was quite surprising.

— Until I can get revenge on Nagi Seishiro, I'll have fun with you, Isagi Yoichi.

Isagi raised an eyebrow at the revelation — as he watched Kiyora heading to the other side of the field. Kiyora wanted to get revenge on Nagi? For what reason? Placing his hand on his chin, he looked thoughtful. It wasn't like this had anything to do with him, but his curiosity was piqued. Nagi wasn't exactly a person who made many enemies, so he couldn't think of a good reason for that.

Well, he would probably find out eventually anyway. It was a waste to use his mind for something futile like that. They were in a game, so he should focus on that for now.

Pow!

While thinking, suddenly, Isagi feels a slap hit his head. He lets out a painful groan and puts his hand on the painful part, he turns his head back and half-closes his eyes, but then widens them when he sees that the one who had hit him was Rin.

— Rin!

— Too lukewarm. That was to teach you that you should support me, and not mark yourself, imbecile.

Isagi arched an eyebrow, but gave a sideways smile.

— Do you need my help to score, Rin?

Rin narrowed his eyes.

— Don't say something so disgusting. I don't need anyone's help to score, but your job is to support me.

Isagi lets out a brief laugh and starts to go to his position, since the game would start in a few seconds.

— I want to see it happen, then — he sticks his tongue out to provoke Rin, which worked, because a vein becomes visible on his temple. — Score without any support, Rin.

All the muscles in Rin's body contract. There were several veins bulging near his eyes and his jaw was clenched. His blood boiled like never before. It was a sensation completely familiar to him, although it was not so constant because he was often calm like the flow of water in a peaceful pond.

He was boiling with anger.

When lukewarm people underestimated him without any basis, he just kept calm and crushed them as a way of learning. “I am perfect”, “Underestimating myself was a fatal mistake”, “You are just a grain of sand on my path to being the best”, among many other phrases that were said and thought by Itoshi Rin.

However, at that moment, he hated being underestimated, especially by Isagi.

He could not let Isagi surpass him in any way, otherwise…

Rin bit his lower lip and looked at Isagi with blood in his eyes.

— I will kill you, Isagi…

RESTART!!

The players were spread out across the field. Near the goal of team C, were Nagi and Reo, where Nagi, with the inside of his foot, kicked the ball to Reo. In an instant, they ran forward, heading towards the other players. Their eyes met and, at that moment, Reo understood what he should do. When he realized that Aryu was among them, he kicked the ball with the inside of his foot, managing to make the pass reach the feet of his goal, which was Nagi.

With the pass made, Reo picked up the pace a little, soon seeing that the ball had hit Nagi's foot and been directed back to him. Aryu tried to follow the movements with his eyes and turned his body a little, but soon the ball returned to Reo and the one who advanced the most was Nagi.

Igaguri gave a slightly shaky smile.

— Th-their passes are even faster than before!

Kiyora stood face to face with Reo, but he didn't take his eyes off Nagi for even a second. He knew what he had to do. Nagi and he were close enough for him to know what was going on in his head, so he knew he had to kick the ball there, at that moment, at a slightly higher point, where he would jump when he received the pass and they both went forward, going to the goal.

Everything was coldly calculated in Reo's thoughts.

But why did he feel uncomfortable about it?

Was it because he and Nagi were far apart and, consequently, he felt like they weren't as "connected" anymore? Well, Reo just shook his head from side to side and pushed those thoughts away, frowning right after. He was the person who knew Nagi better than anyone, so it was clear that it would work. So, without thinking much more, he raised his leg and let his foot quickly touch the ball, as it curved cleanly towards Nagi.

— That's it. Very good.

When he jumped a little to reach the ball that was flying towards him, suddenly, in front of him, Barou appeared, who was also jumping and soon reached it before Nagi. Reo and Nagi widened their eyes at the same time. Reo bit his lip tightly and narrowed his eyes in frustration. He felt that something would go wrong, but even so, it was frustrating to have his game read so easily by the enemy.

What would Nagi think of him?

The ball flies to the side, falling to the ground. Isagi was heading towards the free ball, but suddenly something hit the side of his body, which made him widen his eyes instantly. Arching an eyebrow, he looked to the side and realized that the person there was none other than Rin, a person who was on his team. Rin put his arm in front of Isagi's chest, trying to make him reach the ball first. Isagi even tried to force himself a little to get rid of Rin's body block, however his efforts were in vain, since in terms of physical strength, Rin was infinitely superior to him. Isagi shouted Rin's name and pointed out the fact that they were on the same team, so that would lead nowhere, but Rin completely ignored him and just sank his fingers deeper into Isagi's shirt, putting more force so that he would stay behind.

The others watched the scene with surprise in their eyes. The two were from the top 6 and teammates, even though it was Blue Lock, it was a test to be selected for the Blue Lock Eleven, so there was no point in having a fight between teammates. 

Rin's foot finally reached the ball. He put strength into his legs, feeling the veins pop out and come into direct contact with his clothes, thus managing to get away from Isagi with the ball at his feet and turning his heels to go to the opposite side, towards the opponent's goal. Little by little, Isagi stopped running, looking at Rin's back, who was getting further away from him every second and aiming to reach the goal. Isagi blinked a few times and let out a sigh, he raised his arm and wiped the sweat from his face with the back of his hand, while placing the other hand on his waist. 

A small aura began to appear in his irises. 

— Egoist child… — he whispered, seeing that two players from the enemy team were heading towards him. — Even I can boil a little when provoked, Rin. Don't think I'll let you devour me so easily…

Rin narrowed his eyes as he saw that his opponents were crowding around him. Reo — who had left Kiyora behind — and Yukimiya stared at Rin, who turned his gaze to all sides and tried to find some gap to get past alone.

He didn't need anyone to mark him.

Itoshi Rin would prove right there, in that moment, that he was perfect and could do anything without needing assistance.

They weren't exactly far from the goal. Near the goal were Aryu, who was free, and Shidou, being marked by Barou. Isagi was free, so he ran past the sideline, while looking at Rin over his shoulder. His eyes were full of energy, as if he was ordering Rin to pass to him, and Rin found that disgusting, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.

He clenched his jaw and put the foot that had the ball back, trying to prevent it from being stolen, and showing Isagi that he would not pass under any circumstances. And Isagi smiled sideways. At the same moment, Yukimiya stretched out his leg and tried to touch the ball with his foot, but Rin managed to kick the ball to the left side with his heel. Reo advanced with his hand, but Rin used his elbow to stop the touch.

He would not lose there.

However, suddenly, the ball left Rin's feet.

With wide eyes, he looked down and saw Igaguri, who had a nervous smile on his face. He had made a sliding tackle and managed to take the ball from Rin. Over the heads of the four present, the ball was flying, heading towards the front of the goal, where Isagi, Aryu, Shidou and Barou were. As soon as it hit the ground, Shidou and Barou rushed towards it, while pushing each other using the strength of their bodies.

— You're so fucking annoying, huh! — he said, a vein of irritation appearing on the side of his head.

— I can say the same about you, you weird commoner!

While the two were fighting, Isagi got possession of the ball.

For a few seconds, he stared intensely at Shidou, who gave him a surprised look, but they soon lost contact and Isagi turned on his heels, going to the other side. Everything was free. Just him, a teammate and the goalkeeper. With his right foot, he pretended to kick hard, which made the goalkeeper jump to the side, but at the same time, he kicked with the outside of his right foot, making the ball go to the opposite side.

— Now, yes, I recovered my lost goal.

GOAL!!

1-0

When the ball finally made the net shake and the number on the scoreboard changed, Isagi felt a great relief. That play had been extremely convoluted and time-consuming. He was willing to end that game as quickly as possible, since he could rest for the next few hours, since it wouldn't be team A that would play.

— AAAHH!!!

Suddenly, a scream echoed through the place, making everyone startle, especially Isagi. When they looked to the side, they realized that the scream had come from Rin, who had his bangs covering his eyes and veins bulging on the outside of his hands.

A smile left Isagi's lips.

Annoying Rin would always be a fun pastime.

And if annoying him would motivate him to become even better, then he would do it with the greatest pleasure. Even if he had to be as annoying as Kaiser was to him during the Neo Egoist League.

He put his hands in his pockets and started walking towards Rin, who had his face red with anger, with veins bulging everywhere on his face. When Isagi finally got close to Rin, his turquoise eyes locked onto Isagi's deep blue ones, who didn't flinch at all.

— Oops... Sorry, Rin — he said in a clear mocking tone. — I ended up stealing your goal, didn't I?

If Rin was already red with anger and his face was covered in veins, Isagi's words left him in a way that no one could even describe. His two arms instantly rose, meeting the sides of Isagi's arms, which were crushed by Rin's two hands.

— Isagi… — he whispered, with a slurred and harsh tone. — I'm going to kill you...

— Huh? Do I have to file a restraining order against you?—

— Enough of this weird flirting of yours! — Barou shouted, irritated, approaching the two, who looked at him. — Let's get back to the game, you pieces of shit!

Rin narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw, then released Isagi from his grip — he wouldn't admit it, but that had hurt a lot — and put his hands in the pockets of his shorts, soon heading towards the A team's part of the field.

After Rin had moved far enough away, Isagi let out a sigh. He put his hand over his mouth as he thought. Now that the first goal had been scored, especially since it was due to a ball lost by Rin, he would have to be careful not only with himself, but also with Barou, who would probably do everything he could to devour him and score a goal. Kiyora didn't seem exactly interested in scoring a goal right now, so just using him as support was ideal. And Aryu... Well, Aryu didn't seem to have any desire to score a goal, so he had to worry.

A drop of sweat ran down his temple and he took his hand off his mouth, putting his thumb in his mouth and biting it.

In addition to wanting to secure his spot in Blue Lock Eleven and reach the top 1, Isagi wanted, above all, to help the other players evolve. In the previous match, he had managed to help Chigiri find his place in the match, but he planned to do the same for a larger number of people this time. Of course, it wasn't an act of charity. Isagi's excessive kindness disappeared the moment he accepted that he had to be the biggest egotist of all. Most of his actions were to feed his gigantic ego, since he needed the other players to evolve so that he could enjoy playing soccer again.

Sometimes, Isagi was a little afraid of changing something essential in his future, but nothing he had done so far had a direct impact on his future death. He was murdered by a fan. A person he had never met before. In other words, there was no way his actions during the Third Selection could have affected this, since he only became "famous" after the game against the U-20.

"I'm a big fan of yours, Isagi Yoichi."

That sickly, drawn-out voice still echoed in Isagi's head, making him shiver all over, from head to toe. He shook his head from side to side to clear his thoughts. Returning to his previous line of reasoning, he turned his gaze to the others on the field. Within seconds, his eyes landed on Reo, who had a frustrated and slightly empty expression. Isagi placed his hand over his mouth again and licked his lips discreetly, already coming up with several ways to make Reo evolve.

— Time to break your mental state a little, Reo… — he whispered to himself, as his feet moved and made him head towards the A team's part of the field.

Chapter Text

Mikage Reo was always the perfect child. He could have anything he wanted at any time. If he wanted a girl, he could have his. If he wanted a friend, thousands of people would be kneeling in front of him seeking his friendship. However, in the world of soccer, what Reo wanted most, he certainly couldn't get just because he had money or influence from his family. 

The cup. 

Ever since he realized that his life was becoming increasingly dull and discovered that there was something he couldn't have with money, a new goal has driven his life forward. And with the existence of this goal, the discovery of his most precious possession came as a consequence. 

When Nagi and Reo met, Reo was absolutely certain that they would be together forever. That they would be the best in the world together. That they could have a life together. But from the moment they entered the Blue Lock and played against Team Z, everything between him and Nagi changed. In fact, the change started directly in the heart of his greatest treasure, Nagi Seishiro. 

Isagi Yoichi initiated this change in Nagi. 

His eyes were half-closed and he ran his hand over his face, fixing his gaze on Isagi, who was standing next to Rin on the other side of the field. It hadn't exactly been that long since he and Isagi had last met, but the improvement he showed was completely abnormal. It wasn't possible for someone of Isagi's ability to reach the top three in such a short space of time. When they played against each other at the time of the second selection, he would never even make the top 10, he was completely sure of that.

Reo bit his lower lip hard. He turned his gaze to the side and saw that Nagi was looking calm, but his eyes were still fixed on Isagi. What could Reo do to receive that look of love and admiration from Nagi? What was so attractive about Isagi that he didn't have? He couldn't understand it at all, but he would do anything to prove to Nagi that he too could evolve and that he was the best option for Nagi, not Isagi.

Swallowing dryly and frowning, he kicked the ball with the inside of his foot, making sure it hit its target, which was Nagi.

In that match, he would prove himself and win a place in the Blue Lock Eleven.

"Look at me, Nagi!"

RESTART!!!

Nagi, who previously had his eyes on the ball at his feet, turned his face forward and began to advance towards the opposing team. Rin was heading towards him in a determined manner; Kiyora was calmly observing everything from afar, but still paying attention; Aryu and Barou were rushing to block Yukimiya and Igaguri's movements. Everyone should be in their positions, but when he paid close attention, Isagi was still standing still, not really moving forward to mark anyone, leaving Reo free.

The players — from both Team A and Team C — were confused by his action. It was totally impossible to try to understand what was going on in that selfish mind, but everyone knew they had to be careful, after all, it was certain that Isagi was planning something, and he was too intelligent to have any futile thoughts at that moment.

Within seconds, Nagi and Rin were face to face.

Rin's frown deepened. He didn't know what was going on in Isagi's mind, but he didn't really care. As long as he didn't get in his way, it didn't matter what he did on the pitch. Straining his legs a little — which caused a few veins to pop out in his skin — he then stretched out his right, directing it towards the ball at his opponent's feet. Nagi, who was watching the situation carefully, controlled it with his foot, knocking it away from Rin. He was well aware that he didn't have as good dribbling skills as Rin, but he would try to use his genius and creativity to succeed.

Once again, Rin tried to advance. He put his arm over Nagi's chest, trying to stop him from moving any further, which, in a way, worked. Although Nagi was bigger than Rin, their physiques were quite similar, but Rin's was a close second. In those moments, the fact that he had only been playing soccer for a few months — unlike his opponent, who had been playing since he was a child — and didn't have as much dedication as Rin was making itself felt. Rin, with his arm in front of Nagi, used his right leg to push the ball away, succeeding in his action.

Rin quickly got away from Nagi and ran towards his goal, which was the soccer ball. Of course, Nagi tried to keep up with him and put his arm in front of his body, but Rin managed to pick up the pace and touch his left boot to the ball before Nagi. Quickly, he kicked the ball onto his other foot, stopped — which made Nagi, who was running with him, unbalance a little — turned his body around the other — passing behind his back — and went to the side, thus managing to lose him easily.

With the ball now in his possession, he looked around. Unmarked, Reo ran towards Rin. He could feel all the distress coursing through his body. Although he had started to move, Isagi still stood calmly on the pitch, as if waiting for something to happen so that he could act; and that was scaring Reo too much, as well as making him extremely angry.

Looking at Isagi, he felt completely pathetic. Was the fact that he wasn't being marked because, in Isagi's mind, he wasn't good enough to be worth confronting? Was he so insignificant that he wasn't worth spending any sweat on? He bit down hard on his lower lip, feeling that he was going to overstep the mark and thus bleed where he had been deliberately bitten. At that moment, he would have to prove that he was worthy of being in that camp; of being at Nagi's side.

Taking up a defensive position, Reo focused his eyes on Rin's movements. He realized that the determination emanating from those eyes and that body would not be easy to overcome. When Rin screamed after having his goal "stolen" by Isagi, he understood that something different would happen after that. It was obvious that something was going on here. And it was dangerous.

When he realized there was someone in his way, Rin stopped for a moment. Feeling the air enter his lungs through his nose and leave through his mouth, he kept his usual calm countenance. Without any effort, he used his left leg, gave the ball a brief touch and kicked it to the right. As Reo looked at the ball, he swallowed, realizing that Rin wasn't going to make such a simplistic play, so when he saw him use the other side of his left foot to play the ball to the left again, his body moved automatically.

However, it wasn't enough. Rin put his right leg over the ball and used the inside of his left foot to pass it sideways under his legs. Reo grinned and clenched his teeth as he saw that he was being left behind by Rin, who was running towards the goal.

So he turned on his heels, turned his body and ran.

It was all extremely frustrating.

He was sure he had enough skill to at least be able to react correctly to Rin's moves, but for some reason his body was weak, as if he was incapable of doing anything. His throat was dry and sweat was running down his face. He looked ahead and saw that Yukimiya, who had lost the enemy team's markers, was running towards his opponent with a smile on his face.

Quickly, they were facing each other. With his eyes — which were covered by his sports goggles — on the ball, Yukimiya made an attempt to steal possession, but Rin managed, using his right foot, to maintain control while putting it behind him. Then a fight for the ball began. Yukimiya pressed with every attempt to get forward, and this made Rin impatient and, in a way, annoyed as hell.

A vein of irritation appeared on the side of his forehead. He heard the voice of someone nearby who could be of support, but he had no intention of passing. His eyes fixed briefly on Isagi, who looked thoughtful and calm, but soon returned to Yukimiya, who once again stretched out his leg to try and steal the ball.

However, even though he tried everything, Yukimiya managed — after a long time of trying — to get possession of the ball. He put his hand on Rin's shoulder, picked up the ball with his right foot and kicked it behind his other leg, then, using his other foot and heel, kicked it behind him once more and passed the ball under Rin's legs — who looked wide-eyed at the move.

Reo was completely speechless when he saw what had happened. He hadn't even been able to react properly to Rin's moves, but Yukimiya had managed to beat him in a one-on-one match without much effort. He saw him easily pass the other players in an unbelievably easy way. Unlike his appearance, he had dribbles that depended on his physique and speed, which was something new for Reo. Compared to Bachira's "elastic" dribbling, Yukimiya's dribbling was somewhat "rigid".

He couldn't be useless like that. He had to do something about it.

So Reo ran. Again, his throat felt sore and his mouth dry. The fear coursing through his body was something completely unknown to him. In the midst of so many incredible players, he was standing there, unable to do anything at all. He felt a twinge in his chest as he moved closer to Yukimiya, who was currently being marked by Barou.

— You won't get past here, you little shit.

— Oh really?

With all his pride thrown away, Reo shouted:

— Use me, Yukimiya!

Yukimiya smiled wider.

— No way — setting his left leg on the synthetic grass and putting all his strength into his right leg, he lifted it. — It'll be easier if I score alone.

Reo's eyes widened and, with force, Yukimiya shot.

The ball quickly flew over Barou's head. It was on a high trajectory, as if it was going to go straight out of the goal, but it began to fall slowly, heading towards the goal. It was a spinning shot. The ball, which cut through the wind masterfully, was heading for the corner of the goal, where the goalkeeper wouldn't be able to get to it in time to catch it.

Suddenly, however, Aryu appeared and jumped in front of the ball to stop it from entering the goal. The smile on Yukimiya's face disappeared, and Reo looked impressed that he had managed to react so easily.

— Don't forget me.

A voice was heard by Aryu. Before he could react, Nagi suddenly appeared at his side and jumped up, managing to use his left leg to deftly control Yukimiya's spinning ball.

— Whew... Heavy...

Yukimiya smiled sideways.

— He managed to catch that? Good one, number 6.

Nagi soon landed on the ground and, without further ado, kicked the ball into the goal, causing the net to bulge and thus scoring Team C's first goal.

GOAL!!

1-1

Reo's eyes widened as he saw Nagi apologizing for stealing Yukimiya's goal. In that instant, he knew for sure: Nagi was no longer the same as he used to be.

— Nagi-san is very good! — Nanase said and fell backwards onto the floor. His enthusiasm for the match was totally understandable. — So was Yukimiya-san, all the more so for getting past Rin-san and hitting a shot like that.

Hiori was still watching the screens carefully. Of course, he was impressed by Nagi's goal, but his curiosity about Isagi was growing. From what he could see, Isagi and Rin were arguing about something — in fact, it was more of a one-sided fight on Rin's side than anything else — and he imagined it was because Isagi had done absolutely nothing to prevent the goal from being scored.

The way Yukimiya "easily" passed Rin is also quite surprising. He could tell that if there hadn't been such incredible and surreal people in the top six, Yukimiya would certainly have been there, as his level of play was extremely high. In fact, everyone in that field was impressive.

Hiori brought the thumb of his right hand up to his mouth and bit the tip lightly. The game was getting more interesting by the second.

At the start of the game, the chemical reaction between Isagi and Kiyora was splendid. It gave his goosebumps from head to toe. Even though it was a missed goal because of the foul, Hiori never tired of seeing the incredible moves that Isagi made.

— All these guys are incredible... — Hiori whispered to himself, but Nanase heard and looked at him. His eyes were filled with an intensity unknown to him.

He was definitely looking forward to the result of the third team, because if he passed, there was the slightest chance that he would actually start liking soccer.

Reo wiped the sweat running down his face with his uniform.

He was completely devastated. The ideas running through his head weren't making sense. What was he doing on that field, anyway? How could he stand out? It wasn't just that Nagi was completely different, if he couldn't keep up with the others, he wouldn't get his place in Blue Lock Eleven.

Suddenly, he felt a hand touch his shoulder. Startled, he looked back and realized he was being touched by Shidou, who had a devious smile on his face.

— What's wrong? — Reo asked, squinting.

Without letting Reo react first, Shidou pulled him back and stepped in front of him. Leaving him confused, he simply put his hands in his pockets and threw his head back, making the two front strands sway in the wind. His smile widened and his gaze became intense, which made Reo shiver a little.

— You're being useless in this field, Mikage Reo. — The phrase made Reo shudder even more. He swallowed and felt his pupils flutter, as if he might cry at any moment. — It's time to change.

Reo's body tensed up completely. His eyes quickly turned to Nagi, who looked at him without any expression on his face and then turned his head forward, oblivious to Shidou's decision; and that left Reo even more shaken.

He bit his lower lip hard; he took his arm in his hand and squeezed it, digging his nails into his skin — an action that would surely leave purple marks later —; he felt his head ache as he lowered it and looked at his boots and the greenish grass that surrounded him.

"Fuck!", he cursed mentally, feeling like the worst piece of trash there could be.

Rin — begrudgingly — kicked the ball to Isagi, starting the game once again.

RESTART!!!

Shidou licked his lips.

— Let me take care of Isagi — he said, glanced sideways at Nagi quickly and, without letting him answer, started running to mark Isagi.

Nagi looked slightly annoyed, his mouth in the shape of an "x". He planned to mark Isagi, and the fact that it was Shidou — in other words, the person who had been flirting with Isagi a few long minutes ago — made him very uncomfortable. His eyes went slightly to Reo and, well, his situation was disappointing. He missed his friend, yes, but he couldn't worry about him anymore.

Now he had a reason to play soccer. A goal that gave his life more meaning and gave him the motivation to work hard. So he turned his gaze forward, fixing his gray irises on the one who made his heart pound and caused him so many unfamiliar sensations. When Isagi left them and joined Rin's team, the hole left in his chest was immense; and when they met again, he was different. Not physically, but his personality had changed a little — he seemed more mature, perhaps? — and, above all, his abilities.

Envy wasn't exactly a feeling in his life, but the fact that Rin could play alongside him for several matches made him a little... uncomfortable, in a way. He was definitely weaker than Isagi, but that wasn't such a bad thing, after all, when he got better than him, he could crush him with all his might — and perhaps stay by his side.

So, with that in mind, Nagi ran.

He couldn't think of anything other than overcoming Isagi, because that was his ego.

The air entered Isagi's nose and went into his lungs, soon causing him to release it through his mouth. The process was repeated once more. And again. And for the fourth time, it happened again. He needed to calm down and focus on his momentary goal: forcing Reo to evolve. Honestly, his situation was so pathetic that it made him sick.

The psychological pressure he was putting on him was apparently working very well. He looked desperate, humiliated and, from what he could see, still destroyed, especially as he had apparently heard something from Shidou. He hated the idea, but whatever he said to Reo, it helped put him even deeper in the hole.

He learned from the incredible players he'd played alongside and had as a rival that it's in our hour of desperation that we can resurface with our best performance. With the ego rooted in our minds, we can fight again. Unfortunately, he didn't have the strength to fight; much less was he able to perform at his best because of despair. So, at that moment, no matter who it was, he was going to trample over everything and everyone, hurt anyone, no matter what means he used, after all, that was the only way he could have a chance of getting back to who he was.

To go back to being the Isagi Yoichi who loved soccer more than anything else in his life.

And it didn't matter if it took days, months or even years, he would make it.

Then, unlike the previous round, Isagi advanced. At this point in the game, he didn't need to use his Meta Vision so much, as everyone was playing as predictably as possible, including — incredibly — Shidou, who was the most complicated person of all to play against Isagi. It didn't matter how much better he was in terms of technique and qi on the pitch, because even against impressive players like Loki, Rin, Sae and Kaiser, he managed to excel. However, when it came to Shidou, as well as getting absurdly angry, he couldn't overlook how unpredictable he was.

As Shidou began to approach him, looking away, Isagi lifted his leg a little and hit the ball with his heel, behind his back. His opponent stopped and looked at the trajectory of the shot, seeing that the ball quickly landed at Kiyora's feet. He fixed his pink irises on Isagi, seeing that he had a serious — but very intense — look on his face. Shidou felt a pang of disappointment.

— I didn't think you were such a coward, Isagi Yoichi. Then you won't be able to make my cells explode.

Isagi arched an eyebrow.

— Sorry to disappoint you, horny demon, but... — he glanced at Rin, who was frowning at him — unlike Rin — he smiled a little, but the smile soon disappeared as he looked at Shidou again —, I pass the ball when necessary.

Isagi and Kiyora crossed their gazes. It was an instant chemical reaction, which showed that they didn't need words to know what to do. Isagi was fully aware that Kiyora would pass to himself, after all, Rin didn't pass to anyone; in other words, a totally illogical option. So, faced with the situation, Kiyora just nodded, whispered a "yes, sir" and moved on.

Isagi couldn't waste any time, especially with Shidou. He looked at his opponent's face and analyzed his facial expressions. Slightly frowning eyebrows; a little sweat dripping down his temple and onto his tanned skin, making its way to his neck and disappearing through his shirt; a big smile that showed his teeth, proving that Shidou was certainly excited and curious about the contest between the two of them. Well, Isagi couldn't say he wasn't, at the very least, feeling a warm sensation in his chest at the idea of crushing Shidou.

He wanted to stomp on him; crush him like the cockroach he was; and, above all, watch him wipe his oh-so-confident smile off his face, no matter how childish he was being.

Licking his lips, Isagi threatened to move his left foot and, of course, Shidou reacted quickly, but without taking his eyes off him. Even if he hated to admit it, his reaction was great for anything, so if Isagi hadn't gone back in time, he would have been pretty screwed being in Shidou's sights. Faced with this, he moved his body to the right, being followed by the other, therefore going that way as planned.

Shidou didn't know exactly why, but he was mesmerized by Isagi. He felt as if he was falling under the spell of a sorcerer and couldn't get out even if he tried very hard. His every move was millimetrically calculated, which meant that he couldn't help but stare at everything he did. And because of this, because of the "spell" that was on him, which made him admire his opponent more and more, he failed to notice when his body suddenly collided with another.

Pow!

Then, suddenly, all his attention on Isagi was directed to the side, and he realized that he had been forced to collide with Itoshi Rin. Rin's expression was as surprised as his. And when he turned his head in Isagi's direction, he saw that he had a debauched — and perhaps slightly sexy? — while his eyes were closed a little, showing that, in fact, Shidou had been completely fooled and Rin had been played for bait once again.

The only thing that crossed Shidou's mind was how erotic that smile was.

Isagi looked at Rin, who, when he realized what had happened, had a vein marked and pulsing at his temple, and his smile grew even wider.

— Since you're being so useless on the pitch, you piece of shit, be my pawn and hold Shidou back a bit.

That said, he went the other way, passing Rin and Shidou and leaving them behind. His steps were quick, but controlled and necessary, as his energy had to be spared, and soon he was close to Kiyora. Once again, their eyes met. And, as before, they knew what they had to do. With one shot, the ball left Kiyora's feet and went straight to Isagi, and then this was repeated a few times. They passed majestically through the players with clean, synchronized passes, which made everyone a little desperate about what to do.

However, in the face of this situation, the most unexpected person appeared: Reo Mikage. As before, he was still visibly nervous, but he was trying to do something. He had to be useful and stand out in any way he could, even if he had to risk himself like that. All his muscles were filled with tension at the sight of Isagi's gaze on him. It was intense and frightening. Anyone would tremble in front of him in that situation.

Swallowing dryly, he got into position, waiting for him to come closer and somehow manage to get around the situation. Seeing that Reo was waiting for him, Isagi finally stopped moving when the ball landed at his feet and came face to face with his opponent. His action drew a surprised look from everyone, especially Kiyora, who was currently Isagi's partner.

Reo frowned and squinted.

— Why did you stop? — His voice came out lower and shakier than he would have liked, but this wasn't the time to get worked up about something so futile. — You could easily pass me, right?

Isagi didn't answer right away.

His eyes remained fixed on Reo. And, even if it hurt to admit it, he had a totally secure posture, showing that he had no opening to have the ball stolen. Everyone could feel an aura around the two of them, as if they might die if they got in there.

Then, after a few seconds, Isagi's lips finally parted and, along with that, he finally began to move, albeit slowly.

— You know, Reo... — he began to say, while looking down at his feet and being accompanied by the other in his movements — you remind me of an NPC from some game.

His eyes became even more squinted. He really didn't know how to react to that.

— Huh?!

Suddenly, Isagi picked up his pace, but kept hos eyes on his feet, following every movement the ball made.

— Always the same things. Always the same movements. Always the same moves. — Then, after a while, he looked at Reo. — I told you, didn't I? You stay behind Nagi, worrying only about him; and if you carry on like this... he stepped forward, and with his right foot, lifted the ball off the ground and, with a brief twist of his leg, kicked the ball the other way — you'll carry on being the same as always and you'll never be the best in the world.

Reo's eyes widened, feeling all the horrible sensations intensify in his body. Annoyed, he tried to advance, but Isagi read his movements easily and managed to kick the ball through his legs. As the ball was heading the other way, Isagi pushed off to the side, passing his opponent.

Reo tried. He really tried to react and stop it, but... his body didn't have the strength. Was he in such a deplorable state that he needed to hear those things even from Isagi? Was the fact that he was so desperate to show results — especially to Nagi — getting in his way?

"What the fuck am I doing here, anyway?", he thought, biting his lip and placing his hand on his forehead, feeling the purple strands of his hair stick to him.

Isagi passed to Kiyora and they both continued towards the goal. Although he was minimizing his movements, some parts of his body were beginning to ache, so scoring that goal would be crucial, especially to be able to give Reo more to blame for letting Isagi pass and score.

Nagi and Yukimiya approached from the opposite side to the Kiyosagi duo, but Isagi was ready. With one last pass from his partner, he was face to face with the goal, ready to score. He lifted his leg, put his size on it and brought his boot close to the ball...

Suddenly, his body was pressed on both sides.

— Isagi!!! — Rin exclaimed, putting his arm in front of Isagi's torso and pushing him back.

— You're fucking interesting, Isagi Yoichi! — Shidou shouted, doing the same as Rin.

In that situation, he wouldn't be able to score. They were too close to the goal, so passing to Kiyora was definitely not an option. His eyes turned from side to side in search of support, but there was no one on his team who could help him. Well, he was definitely in a lot of trouble.

Could Rin steal the ball from you and score?

Would Shidou steal the ball and be able to counter-attack for Team C?

The tightness in his body grew stronger. Sweat beaded up all over his skin, including a drop that ran down his forehead, onto the tip of his nose and, consequently, onto the synthetic grass. When I played against professional teams, these situations were extremely common.

Heavy pressure put on you by opposing players and teammates.

Injuries often led to a foul or even a sending-off.

For Isagi, this was nothing new, let alone something complicated to deal with, so...

— You know what? — he began to whisper, looking down at the ball at his feet and putting strength into his arms. — Fuck all this shit!

He kicked it.

Even in a bad position, he shot, regardless of whether he hit the net or not.

Blue Lock Man jumped up and managed — barely, as the ball hit his fingertips — to save it. The ball hit the corner of the post and fell out, going over the heads of the players, who were watching its trajectory carefully. When Nagi realized where the ball would land, he broke away from Yukimiya and started running towards the goal.

Finally, the ball landed at Reo's feet.

When he realized that everyone's target was with him, Reo despaired. His feet began to move on their own. After all that, could he really do anything? Could he really help in that situation? His breathing suddenly became even more labored, which made his chest hurt.

He picked up the second ball, but what was the point? When Ego had talked about the weapons at the beginning of Blue Lock, he hadn't had to think much, since he had always been perfect in all areas and had never excelled at anything "abnormal". In other words, Reo didn't have a weapon that made him stand out from the rest.

Reo turned his eyes and fixed them on Nagi. He looked at you over his shoulder, trusting that Reo would pass to you. It was totally predictable. So far, he had played for Nagi as much as he could, but it still wasn't enough. He couldn't evolve. He didn't know what to do. He bit his lower lip once again. Reo was on the verge of collapse, he could collapse at any moment, while his legs felt heavy.

What could he do?

What could he not do?

He stared at the score: 1-1, and he hadn't scored at all. Thinking back to Isagi's goal, Reo remembered how impressive that guy was. He didn't want to have to admit it, but Isagi was incredible. Reaching the top three in such a short space of time and improving his skills was insane, and no one could deny it. Then his thoughts went to Nagi's goal and, in a way, Yukimiya's too. He couldn't score a goal like that. From Yukimiya's dribble to his spinning shot, and Nagi's decision to take control of the ball when he realized his opponent was going to stop it...

They were improving each other. At Reo's current level, he wouldn't be able to reach anyone. Not Isagi, not Shidou, not Rin and certainly not Nagi. Seeing Nagi having so much fun without him was... frustrating. He was no longer his most precious possession, the person who made his heart beat faster as soon as he laid eyes on him. His treasure had evolved and was on a completely different level, while Reo had nothing special because he was someone who was completely balanced.

No matter how much he improved his moves, nothing would really change.

How could Reo beat the top six?

Again, he saw Nagi, who was waiting for his pass without any reaction on his face. It was clear that he wasn't expecting anything out of his partner. It was more than clear that, for Nagi, Reo was dull, with no strength whatsoever. And, well, he was beginning to agree with all these thoughts.

"If you keep chasing Nagi like this, Reo, you'll never evolve."

So that was the problem? The fact that Reo wanted to do anything to get the attention of someone so important to him?

In all his life so far, he had always gotten what he wanted. Money bought friends, loving partners and any material good, but... it seemed that there were things in the world that were beyond his reach. Being the "world champion" or the "best striker in the world"; Reo was completely sure that there was nothing else that the people around him wanted.

They were selfish, after all. And they were also complete idiots, which is exactly why they were so unattainable and radiant, and why they lived. But Reo was different. Even if he lost there, he would live well, he could have whatever he wanted and he would forget everything he had been through there...

Repeatedly, he clenched his fists and forced his legs to have strength again.

The whole thing was a load of shit! Even if he went back there, everything would be boring. Fuck all the despair he felt. Fuck everyone being superior to him. What he really wanted was there, in the Blue Lock. And if his dream was already destined to disappear miserably because of his own incompetence, he would fuck off and become an idiot just like everyone else on the pitch!

"You know what?" he thought, picking up his pace and feeling the wind hit his body. His heart no longer ached. Nothing mattered anymore. He could be balanced while playing top-level soccer, but that idiotic talent didn't matter. "Fuck you too, Nagi!"

He managed to realize that Aryu and Barou were in front of him, at the same time as Isagi and Rin were running after him. In other words, Reo was surrounded.

— He's getting to the big area! Watch out! — Aryu exclaimed.

It was time to take courage and go all out. No more standing around like an abandoned puppy. Reo would be the mastermind. Instead of using all his high status to compete with the top 6...

— Come on, Reo. Here... — Nagi whispered when they got close to the goal. Barou appeared in front of him, preventing the pass from happening.

With a small touch of the ball, Reo planted his left foot on the ground and felt all the adrenaline rush through his bloodstream. His panting was no longer the result of his desperation, but of his excitement to score. He wouldn't pass to anyone, least of all Nagi. Just as he changed when he went to the Blue Lock and met Isagi, he would do the same and evolve to become the best in the world!

He raised his right leg to shoot.

— Isn't that a pass?!

Isagi smiled slightly.

"That's right, Reo. Everything according to plan," he thought, feeling happiness rise in his chest as he saw that Reo had succeeded.

Then, finally, his foot made contact with the ball and he kicked it, but it was no ordinary kick, as the ball ended up going too high and taking the wrong trajectory. Just when everyone thought that Reo had missed his shot, the ball changed trajectory, curving in the perfect direction towards the goal.

The Blue Lock Man tried to defend, but the ball went straight through his hand and finally hit the net. At that moment, Reo had finally found his new style. He would use all his high statuses to copy anyone almost perfectly, just like a kind of "chameleon".

— This is the new Mikage Reo for you idiots — he stuck out his tongue, leaving a mischievous grin on his face.

GOAL!!

1-2

While everyone was admiring Reo with an impressed look on their faces, Isagi sighed, closed his eyes and suddenly fell on his butt on the floor, lying face up. The sides of his body were a little sore, as Shidou and Rin had shown no mercy when it came to bumping into him and holding his torso.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps reached your ears. Letting out another breath, he opened one of his eyes slightly and saw that the person next to him was Kiyora. He looked away and brought his index finger to his bangs, curling the dark green strands there in a way that, in Isagi's opinion, was very sweet and cute.

— Do you want to ask me something, Kiyora? — he whispered, getting his companion's attention.

A tiny beak appeared on his lips, barely noticeable. Sighing, Kiyora took his finger out of his bangs and lowered his body a little, so that within seconds he was sitting next to Isagi, with his legs crossed and his arm — where his chin was in his hand — resting on one of them. Their gazes — as had happened countless times during the game — focused on each other. Kiyora's serious countenance was dazzling to Isagi, while to Kiyora, his teammate's slightly tired but calm expression was quite enigmatic.

Then, after seconds of looking at each other, Kiyora asked:

— That was on purpose, wasn't it?

Isagi arched an eyebrow.

— Hm?

He sank his face further into his hand.

— I'm not that stupid. From the start of the round to Mikage Reo's goal. Everything was in your plans.

Isagi's eyes widened in surprise. Of course, he was aware that Kiyora was clever, but he hadn't imagined that he would catch on so quickly. The corners of his mouth twitched with the urge to let out a smile, but he managed to control himself, as it might be better to keep that little secret to himself.

— You give me a lot of credit, Kiyora. Reo scored on his own merits. As Ego would say, he was in the right place at the right time. That would be the mechanism of luck, right?

Kiyora remained silent. His blue irises watched the other from below. He knew Isagi was lying, that much was clear. His instincts had always been sharp, but from the moment he entered that project, he was destined to have even more choices between life and death. Looking at Isagi, he could see that he wasn't normal. Not at all. Even though he wanted to be the best striker in the world, Kiyora couldn't help thinking how beneficial it would be to be with Isagi.

If they were together, they would always win.

He raised his other hand and brought it towards Isagi, then suddenly gave the other a brief nudge on the nose. The other widened his eyes and let out a restrained groan of pain.

—  What was that?

Kiyora continued to look serious and brought his index finger up to Isagi's forehead, then pressed it lightly.

— I can't understand you. Even though my instincts tell me that playing along with you is the best way to go, I can never predict what you'll do, Isagi Yoichi. — His eyes, which had previously been fixed on his forehead, turned to Isagi's face. — Why did you stop in front of Mikage Reo, anyway? What is your objective?

The expression on Isagi's face was full of surprise. He hadn't expected Kiyora to show so much interest in him like that, but in a way, it wasn't exactly that surprising, since the other had always been too observant.

Then a small smile left Isagi's lips.

In a brief movement, he lifted his body a little and turned it, sticking his side — it hurt a little, even — into the synthetic grass below him. His elbow rested on the ground, while his hand held his face, where the smile had not escaped at any point. Raising his left hand, Isagi signaled with his index finger, making it clear that he would like Kiyora to come closer.

Although he was confused, he complied and placed his other hand on the ground, bringing himself even closer to Isagi. Suddenly, however, his face was pulled by the chin. Kiyora's eyes widened instantly. Their faces were extremely close. Their skins were touching in a way that they could feel each other's warmth with a simple touch. Their eyes met, but unlike before, the sensation caused a strange and unfamiliar feeling in Kiyora, especially when his eyes, without realizing it, went straight to Isagi's lips.

Heat rose to his face.

He was definitely red.

And, damn it, Kiyora had never been blushed by anyone in his life.

— Maybe I'm a bit sadistic, Kiyora. Who knows? — he widened his smile a little and brushed the tip of his thumb across his warm skin. — Do you want to get to know me better? — He parted his lips to say something, but the words died in his mouth. — Do you want to know my goals? Then do what you have to do. Get revenge on Nagi, I'll help you. Get into Blue Lock Eleven. And when all that happens, I'll let you get to know me from head to toe, any way you want.

Kiyora's breath caught. He couldn't even react to the situation. His face was on fire, and his heart was beating so hard that, if Isagi came any closer, he could hear every erratic beat his heart was making. Know him better? From head to toe, in any way he wanted? Did Isagi know what he was talking about?

As quickly as it had arrived, the touch between their skins quickly faded. He still felt a little of the sensation of Isagi's finger on his chin and, frankly, he didn't want it to ever go away. Kiyora watched as Isagi stood up and leaned a little so that he could wipe off the dirt that had stuck to his uniform — and, God, he didn't want to be paying so much attention, because it was indecent where his eyes were going.

Swallowing dryly, he saw Isagi looking at him over his shoulder. There was no longer a smile on his face, just a relaxed expression, but with an intense gaze in his direction. Instinctively, Kiyora got up from the floor, too. And before he knew it, Isagi pulled him close and put his arm around his shoulders as he led them to the center of the field, where the game would resume.

Amid all the stares, Kiyora could think of only one thing: Isagi Yoichi was extremely dangerous and intriguing. And he was shaking with excitement because of it.

RESTART!!!

As soon as the match restarted, Shidou advanced towards Isagi. The excitement on his face was evident, after all, the goal he had almost scored had been extremely exciting. Blood was flowing rapidly through all his blood vessels, mainly to his face and lower body. Shidou really felt like his cells were about to explode. Playing against Isagi was too exciting.

Isagi blinked slowly while looking at Shidou with disdain. He was still a bit pissed off from the previous move, and still had to deal with Rin complaining in his ear about being used as bait, but he vehemently ignored it. Facing him and seeing him lick his lips — Isagi was truly disgusted by this action, I must say — he frowned.

— Can't you play like normal people? — Isagi asked as he moved the ball perfectly, never letting it slip out of his grasp.

— That would be no fun, wouldn't it, SagiSagi?

Isagi felt the urge to vomit. Hearing Shidou call his by such an intimate but debauched nickname made his stomach turn. His skin grew hot from the anger he felt, so, taking advantage of this feeling, he decided to run past Shidou.

With his left foot, he kicked the ball to the right and tried to dribble along the same side, but Shidou was able to react quickly and put his hand out to block Isagi's path. He saw it coming and rested his hand on his opponent's chest, turning his body and kicking the ball to the left, then going close to it and taking control.

His gaze turned away as soon as he left Shidou behind. Kiyora, as always, was on hand to meet any move Isagi made. So, taking advantage of this, he kicked out at his companion.

— Kiyora, let's smash them and score — he said with a strong aura in his eyes.

Kiyora shivered, and an aura of the same intensity appeared in his gaze. He nodded.

— 'Kay, 'kay.

As before, the two counterattacked together. Isagi passed to Kiyora, and Kiyora passed to Isagi. The advances had strength, but dexterity. Even though they didn't know each other before the Blue Lock — well, Isagi knew a few things about Kiyora from the future, but it didn't matter — their timing was perfect, as if they were made for each other.

Rin, who was watching from afar, had no idea what to do. No matter how much he racked his brains, he couldn't think of a way to crush Isagi. Fucking that they were on the same team, Rin felt absolutely humiliated and angry, to the point where he could kill someone at any moment. Preferably, he'd like to kill Isagi.

His eyes fixed on the number 15 on his uniform and then turned to the number 21 on Kiyora's back. The latter was clearly more excited after the "conversation" they'd both had, where Isagi had almost kissed him in front of everyone. Rin didn't know exactly why, but it made his blood boil even more and his veins pulse hard in his face.

Isagi was ignoring him, belittling him, treating him like dirt and, above all, dumping him for someone like Kiyora.

When they first met, Isagi was just a horrible soccer idiot. He had the audacity to challenge his and, as expected, lost. But he was persistent. Persistently annoying and disgusting. Seeing him try so hard and evolve during the match was actually surprising — even if Rin refused to admit it —; and that's when Rin realized that he was the right person to be second in line to see him on top of the world — after all, the first was Sae's.

Rin felt the air on his face as he increased his speed. The tension in the camp was enormous. Just as before, they weren't sure how to stop the two from counter-attacking, but they were trying in every possible way. Yukimiya tried to get control of the ball while it was at Kiyora's feet, but Kiyora dribbled easily as he kicked the ball to the left and reached it quickly, just past the far post. Igaguri tried to intercept when the ball was headed towards Isagi, but, anticipating this, Kiyora shot high enough that he couldn't reach it.

Even Reo, who had "woken up" a few minutes ago, couldn't do anything at all.

And finally, it was Rin's turn.

Adrenaline rushed through his bloodstream, his heart rate and blood pressure increased — which caused a pain in his chest — muscle tension and rapid breathing were present; and even with all this, he forced himself to go faster. Not so apparent, the veins pulsed in his legs as he watched his goal with fire in his eyes.

Isagi Yoichi... Isagi Yoichi!

His name rang out in his head.

Without caring about any consequences that might follow, Rin threw his body to the ground and slid, trying to cart Isagi off and, consequently, steal possession of the ball from him.

But Isagi saw it coming. Of course he was going to see it coming; after all, as well as being extremely obvious, Rin was frightened and helpless, not knowing what he should do; and with every second that passed, he sank deeper into despair. When he realized that Rin was approaching him from below, he jumped, but without losing control of the ball at his feet.

Rin's eyes widened and he turned his head upwards, but regret came instantly. That look. That damn intense look directed at his. It was as if his eyes were shining, but deep down there was a drop of disappointment and contempt. And it was a look well known to Rin.

Was Isagi disappointed in you?

For what reason?

Because he couldn't keep up?

Because he hadn't managed to score anything?

Why?

Why?

WHY?

— Rin… — he began to say, snapping him out of his reverie —, it's still too warm...

Rin widened his eyes and felt his chest ache.

No, not again...

"You make me want to throw up. Don't ever use me as a reason to play soccer again."

"As far as I'm concerned, you're just a crappy little brother."

"You're half-assed, Rin."

"Go away, Rin. I don't need you in my life anymore."

His breathing quickened. His chest ached even more. His despair became even more present. his whole body shook as he watched Isagi continue to advance on Kiyora...

Yes, what Itoshi Rin felt at that moment was definitely fear.

Fear of being abandoned.

Fear of being completely outclassed.

Fear of not being able to show that he could be the best.

And, above all, fear that Isagi would see him as complete trash, just as his brother did.

— Ego-san, shouldn't we stop him?! — Anri asked, alternating her gaze between the screens and the man next to her. — Itoshi Rin is trying to steal the ball from Isagi Yoichi, and they're on the same team!

Ego put the fingers of his hands together in front of his face, carefully watching every movement of all the players on the pitch and analyzing with caution. His eyes stopped specifically on Rin, who was on the ground with a frustrated look on her face.

— Anri-chan — he said suddenly, startling the other player, who opened her eyes wide in fright.

— Y-yes?

— How do you feel when you're desperate?

The question took her by surprise. A little confused, Anri thoughtfully placed her hand on her chin, raised her head a little and closed her eyes. She didn't know what Ego was getting at with that question, but answering it wasn't exactly easy. Feelings run high when human beings give in to despair.

After a few seconds, she looked at Ego again.

— I think my heart is beating too hard, my head is filled with rapid thoughts about that e-

Ego quickly interrupted her.

— Incredible. You've actually said something acceptable this time, although it's still incomplete.

— But what-

Ego turned his chair towards you, but without taking his eyes off the monitors.

— When we are desperate, a specific activation occurs in the nervous system. Stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol are released. As you said, there is an increase in heart rate, as well as accelerated breathing, muscle tension and other symptoms that directly affect our body and mind.

Anri blinked a few times, impressed. She knew that Ego was intelligent, but imagined that it was limited exclusively to soccer. She swallowed, paying attention to everything he said.

— I suppose you want to understand what I'm getting at with all this explanation — he turned his chair again and looked at the panel in front of his. In one swift movement, he clicked a button, causing all the monitors to focus solely on Rin. — Watch Itoshi Rin. See how desperate he is?

— Indeed… — he nodded, taking a good look at Rin's expression. — It's because Isagi Yoichi is standing out so much more than him, right?

— Exactly. — Ego looked over his glasses. — But, Anri-chan... That's not exactly bad — he turned his gaze to him in surprise. Ego brought his index finger to his temple. — As I said before, when we're desperate, we release adrenaline, which prepares the body for rapid action, increases the heart rate, dilates the pupils and rushes blood to the muscles. In the midst of desperation, people can reach high potentials. Physical strength, endurance and agility increase. They unleash enormous creative potential, being able to solve big problems using their creativity, as well as, of course, having a temporary increase in cognitive ability. And, above all, there is intense concentration, which we can call flow.

Anri was completely speechless. Of course, she knew that people usually changed significantly in the midst of despair, but she had no idea that all this happened to the human body. Again, she swallowed and looked at the screens. If what Ego was saying was working, then soon Itoshi Rin would be turned by despair.

Sweat poured eagerly down Kiyora's face and body. He had never been one to get that excited about soccer. The last time he really challenged himself and felt something "extra" playing the sport was when he played against Nagi's team and lost. Playing against someone talented was extremely exciting, but playing against someone so... majestic — Kiyora really couldn't find the right word to say about Isagi — made his heart pound more and more.

The people around his weren't exactly exceptional at soccer. They played well, yes, but Kiyora had always been at a completely higher level than them. He could vividly remember when his eyes were fixed on his opponents and teammates on the ground, when he was completely fine and could play even more.

He looked at Isagi, who moved on after dodging Rin's movement.

There were so many questions running through his mind, yet none of them had any answers. Isagi is mysterious and cautious, but if Kiyora could score in that game, could outplay — even a little — Nagi and, above all, enter the Blue Lock Eleven, he would know Isagi better. And that idea was making his body shiver with excitement.

"You can't escape me, Isagi Yoichi!"

And they kept going. Step by step. Pass after pass. Together, they broke through almost every barrier on the pitch, leaving their opponents behind. However, to break up their counter-attack, Nagi, instead of marking Isagi as most of the players were doing, he marked Kiyora.

— Hey, you bizarre dancer — Nagi said, as he and Kiyora glared at each other. — I won't let you go any further with Isagi.

It was now or never.

The first step to getting to know Isagi better was in front of him, and he wasn't going to waste that opportunity.

— 'Kay...

That confrontation reminded Kiyora of the match he lost. Nagi was — still is — absurdly insane, so he had to do his best to get past him. Isagi was watching everything, after all. And he couldn't embarrass himself in that situation.

With the ball still on his foot, Kiyora gave it a brief flick, making it go to the other foot, and with that same foot, took control of the ball. Nagi's eyes went straight to Kiyora's feet, where he watched his every action carefully. As they had both been on the same team for a while, they knew each other's weapons. Kiyora, a player with agile movements and unshakeable balance. Nagi, the genius with incredible freedom on the pitch and the ability to use his creativity to create bizarre moves.

If either of them got distracted, they could be crushed.

Kiyora played the ball to his other boot again, moving swiftly down the sideline. Nagi tried to keep up with him and stop the advance, but that was predicted, so Kiyora went the other way. He tried to turn his toe to the side, but the other man's hand stopped him as he dribbled beautifully with clean movements. Of course, he was never exactly good at one-on-one, especially against someone like Kiyora, but he had to do something to stop him, so he pushed his body a little harder. No matter how strong Kiyora was, Nagi still had a better physique, even more so because of his height.

His action worked, as he began to lose his balance while his hand was still on his chest. But it was Kiyora, after all. He pulled his hand away from Nagi and stepped back a little, just enough time for him to dribble down the sidelines. Suddenly, however, something collided with his body, causing him to let out a low groan of pain.

It was Yukimiya.

He had an extremely annoying smile on his face.

— Let's put pressure on him, Nagi-kun!

That moment gave Kiyora a great feeling of disgust. The fact that he had passed Nagi, but was double-teamed... it was like he was reliving the day he lost. It was an interesting game. He had several insane moments playing against and alongside those guys, but when they played against the best in the world, he realized that they were nowhere near world class.

However, when he was with Isagi, for some reason he felt closer to world level.

And he loved that feeling.

The air rushed out of his lungs and straight into his mouth. Then Kiyora clenched his jaw and knocked his teeth together, then his eyes widened.

— Don't spoil my move, eye-frame.

As soon as the words left his mouth, his hands hit the floor hard. He crossed his arms and took his feet off the ground, using his elasticity and balance to touch the ball with one of his boots. Nagi and Yukimiya tried to reach the ball, but Kiyora slammed the side of his body into the ground, brought his legs together, controlled possession and, in a second, lifted his body and turned it, making a pass.

— What the hell?

— This guy and his bizarre breakdance moves never cease to amaze me...

Then the ball flew. It was reflected in Isagi's gaze, who was watching his intently, still a little impressed by Kiyora. He was well aware that he danced breakdance and often used the moves during matches, but it never ceased to amaze him. He tried to take a deep breath. His chest was hurting. He had sworn he wouldn't push himself so hard, but the situation was forcing him to.

Shidou and Igaguri were in front of him. A double booking at that moment was not a good thing. Sweat poured down his face, his chest rose and fell — after all, his breathing was labored — and he tried to think quickly: what should he do? Of course, if it was an ordinary double check, he'd get through without difficulty, but having Shidou there was a hell of a problem.

His eyes flicked from side to side. He couldn't even think about Rin or Barou's assistance. They were too selfish, so they wouldn't pass it back. While his thoughts were going faster and faster so that he could come to a conclusion before the ball hit the ground, suddenly someone appeared to help him and slammed the ball into his chest.

"Aryu?!", he thought, looking at those long strands swinging through the air.

For a moment, the two who had marked him looked away from Aryu, and that was enough for Isagi to react. With strength in his legs, he dribbled up the side and ran. Aryu watched him and, as soon as he hit the ground, he lifted his leg a little and made a short pass, which Isagi caught promptly. He looked forward again, but a few seconds later he turned his head to the side and realized that Yukimiya and Reo were heading in his direction.

— Stop him from scoring, you bastards! — Shidou suddenly shouted, startling everyone

Yukimiya picked up the pace, moving faster towards Isagi. He didn't want to take orders from Shidou, but he was fully aware that he had to stop it, otherwise it might be more difficult for them to score from that moment on.

— "It's no use… — Isagi whispered, while looking at Kiyora, who was already ready for anything.  — You're always too stupid — he lifted his leg and touched the ball with his boot. — You worry too much about me, when there are people just as dangerous as me on the pitch.

So the ball went in Kiyora's direction. The pass was a little erratic, after all Isagi was tired — he would certainly apologize more adequately for the pass later — but it was something no one expected, as everyone thought Isagi would score rather than pass to his partner.

There were strong auras in his eyes, just like in Kiyora's.

Nagi tried to interfere, but Kiyora managed to dribble past him and get closer to the falling ball. It didn't matter that the pass was a bit high, he would make it all worthwhile. If he didn't score there, how could he call himself a striker?

He turned his body and jumped. He felt all the senses in his body heighten and his skin crawl. It had been a while since he had scored like that, but if it was for Isagi, for that match, for his place in the Blue Lock Eleven, he would do his best.

Then his foot struck the ball while his back was turned. And just like that, the ball flew past the goalkeeper and firmly into the net.

GOAL!!

2-2

Nobody could say anything.

They were completely speechless in front of Kiyora's bicycle goal.

When Kiyora finally fell to the ground, Isagi started to move towards him. He wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand, still gasping for breath. At that moment, the roles were reversed. Instead of Isagi lying on the floor, it was Kiyora, and Isagi didn't fail to let out a short laugh at the dejavú he felt.

When he got close to him, he bent his back and looked up at him, his hands on his waist.

— Nice goal.

Kiyora's chest rose and fell. He watched Isagi's face, still feeling the adrenaline coursing through his body. He wouldn't say it, not to Isagi, but he was really happy to be able to play that match. To be his partner.

Taking a deep breath and letting it out, Kiyora jumped up and sat down on the grass.

— You're lucky I managed to catch that awful pass of yours.

Isagi felt as if the words had hit him straight in the heart. He squatted down and rested his face on his hand, which was resting on his thigh.

— I'm sorry, okay? Not everyone can be perfect.

— I thought Mr. Top 3 was perfect...

— I never said he was perfect! People have something called stamina, Kiyora!

Seeing Isagi's stressed and embarrassed expression, he felt a chill in his stomach and a good feeling in his chest. He would definitely like to tease Isagi for a long time and get various reactions out of him. A short laugh burst from his lips and he tried to hide it with his other hand, but it was no use because Isagi heard it.

— You're having fun with this, aren't you? — Isagi cocked his head to one side, giving him a mischievous smile.

He looked away again.

— Maybe — he shrugged. - Anyway — he raised his fist and looked at him seriously —, we're partners, right? It's my job to correct your faults, 'Sagi.

Silence prevailed for a few seconds.

Isagi blinked a few times.

— 'Sagi?

— Would you prefer me to call you by your full name?

— No! — he gave an embarrassed, crooked smile, still surprised and a little confused. He slammed his fist into Kiyora's. — I'm just surprised.

— Well... — he stood up quickly and Isagi looked up — the game isn't over yet. I've done my bit. This is the first step towards getting to know you better, right? So you better not disappoint me, final boss.

Again, he blinked a few times. Letting out a laugh, Isagi stood up and put his arm over Kiyora's shoulder, pulling him closer.

— Right, right — he ran his hand through his hair. — Come on, Kiyora.

So they both went to the middle of the pitch to continue the match.

Isagi was never exactly a religious person. As time went by, he disbelieved more and more in any deity that might exist above the heavens, after all... no one helped him when he needed it most.

But at that moment, when he stuffed a piece of that succulent meat into his mouth, he felt like he was in heaven, being blessed by some kind of god.

— Hum~ — he moaned with satisfaction. He didn't care how greasy it was, he needed a treat for having endured such a grueling game being so tired. — This is so good...

Some time passed after the game. Team A had clearly won, with the score 5-3. After Kiyora scored, Shidou managed to turn things around and hit a goal, but after that, a wave of goals from team A followed. Barou even managed to score, but because of a loose ball from Isagi. Reo didn't manage to use his new "weapon" effectively, but that was to be expected, after all he was only copying, so it wouldn't be 100% accurate at first.

Isagi knew that the kick he gave Reo would make him an incredible player in the future.

And unfortunately — for him, of course, since Isagi wasn't really worried about it — Rin didn't score at all.

He cut another piece of meat.

He was aware that he had taken it a bit hard with Rin, but if he couldn't deal with him — so limited in that way — at first, he would have a harder time of it later on. Isagi leaned his face on his hand and put the meat back in his mouth. Even though he was doing all this for himself, Isagi still felt — deep down in his heart — that helping Rin was the right thing to do.

He knew his time was coming and he would be able to understand himself better, so he wasn't worried at all.

Well, he wanted them to be friends, so they both won somehow, even if Rin didn't know anything about it.

Suddenly, something completely random popped into his thoughts and made his cheeks redden.

"It's my job to correct your faults, 'Sagi."

'Sagi...

He was looking like an idiot teenager for something so simple...

Leaving Rin aside for a moment, his thoughts went straight to Kiyora, and a smile appeared on his lips. He had been very surprised when he saw him on the A team, and he hadn't really expected to approach him like that, let alone receive a nickname from him — gosh, it had been years since anyone had called him that.

Perhaps the fact that he had been so distant from people for years had made him unaccustomed to the "affection" directed at him.

Well, in any case, he also didn't expect to say things like "I'll let you know me from head to toe, any way you want" to Kiyora.

Isagi had learned first-hand that teenagers — and some adults — are, most of the time, hormonal, so that teasing was just another way of cheering others up. For some reason, people were more excited by the idea of having something with Isagi, and he always took advantage of that.

He didn't really mind.

It was an equivalent exchange, after all.

He needed sex and kisses in order to feel good and be sane — even though he felt a certain emptiness in his chest at times —  so if someone tried to satisfy their desires with him, he didn't see a problem. At first, it was satisfying, yes, but it wasn't anything special, but at a certain point, with the right people, he began to see it as something really interesting and, little by little, he began to really enjoy it — Rin was a clear example of this.

Isagi wiped the smile off his face and bit his lower lip a little too hard. He began to eat more quickly so that he could get some rest soon.

In any case, even though he had enjoyed getting closer to Kiyora, his heart didn't beat any harder because of his departure. Of course, he enjoyed seeing his friend's happiness — Isagi didn't know if he could call them that —  but... it was all too easy. It was all too disappointing. It had been a few days since he had gone back in time and gone to the Blue Lock again, but at no point did he feel happy playing. Everyone fell into "despair" at various times, not knowing how to react to his moves, even if he was exhausted.

It wasn't fun.

What could he do? Did he need to make the others progress faster? Should he limit himself more? But if he limited himself even more, it wouldn't be satisfactory. He at least hoped that they would improve more in the Neo Selfish League. If it got to that point and everything was still too boring, maybe it was time to give up.

To give up on soccer once again. And the same went for his life.

Before he knew it, his vision was blurred. A drop fell onto his plate — which was already devoid of any trace of food, by the way — which made him bite his lower lip even harder.

And another drop fell.

And another.

And another.

He put the plate and cutlery down beside the bed and brought his hand up to his face, wiping the tears away with the back of his hand, but they wouldn't stop.

"I hate it when that happens..." he thought, swallowing.

Isagi felt weak.

A beautiful failure.

Even though he knew those tears wouldn't help him at all, he couldn't stop. It was inevitable. All the more so because he was without his medication, which would normally regulate his mood.

Arf...

Arf...

Arf...

His breathing gradually became labored.

Arf...

Arf...

Arf...

His chest hurt so much and he felt like screaming, but at the same time, he just wanted to cry in silence. It was all so frustrating.

He lay on his bed and closed his eyes, trying to think of things that would calm him down. His thoughts went to all his friends and his parents. He touched his fingertips to the sheets beneath him, feeling the texture calmly. If he was weak again, everyone would suffer again, including him.

His arm remained over his eyes.

He needed to sleep. The exhaustion was still present in his body. Even if it was difficult, he had to try. He couldn't let it beat him once again. Not again.

"Be strong, Yoichi..." he said to himself, trying to relax his body. "You don't want to go back to that life, do you?"

Alone.

Without friends.

Without his parents.

Working every day to distract his mind.

Living in an almost deserted town.

He hated it all for years and years, even though it was his choice.

Little by little, the tears that had previously rolled down his face dried up on his skin. He was extremely tired. Both physically and mentally. His breathing gradually became more stable, but his head throbbed with pain.

He couldn't let himself be shaken.

He couldn't let his mind betray him like that.

He would take advantage of the second chance the world had given him to be with people and to play soccer again. Even if he no longer relished the idea of being the best striker in the world, he would fight it so that he could go back to being a dreamy, happy person.

Removing his arm from in front of his face, he opened his eyes and looked up at the ceiling. He stretched his arm up and made a fist with his hand.

His gaze was more determined than anything. This time, he wouldn't let himself be beaten. He wouldn't fall into the abyss again, where he never allowed anyone to get close enough to pull him back from the bottom.

"Get ready, world," he began to think, squinting his eyes. "You will once again meet Isagi Yoichi."

Chapter Text

Hah...

Hah...

Isagi's chest rose and fell periodically. His legs were moving with some strength and speed, as his goal at the moment was not to tire himself out, but to achieve better resistance and greater speed. His eyes fixed on the small monitor on the treadmill as sweat ran down his face and body; he had been on it for 2 hours straight and felt like his body was holding up a little longer.

He managed to sleep for a few hours — and would sleep even more after the game that was taking place, as there was a considerable time gap between games — which was enough for his body to rest — not completely, of course — from all the physical effort he had been forced to make. After waking up, he did a short stretching session and, even begrudgingly, went to the monitoring room. He researched a little more about the other information he had on Karasu and Otoya — which wasn't much, honestly, as Ego blocked out any new information — and then went straight to the training area, which was empty at the moment, as Team B and Team C were playing against each other.

Even if he knew every Blue Lock player with the back of his hand, it was impossible for him to remember everything, so he ended up carrying over a habit he'd developed when he was older: drawing pictures of the best positions and making notes on the opponents. Well, actually, he'd only picked up Sae's craze, but it didn't matter anyway.

Hah...

He stretched his arm forward, touched the button on the treadmill's panel and began to slow down little by little. His legs, which had previously been moving with a certain speed and force, were more relaxed and the muscles in his body were much less tense. With a dejected look on his face, he looked away, seeing his water bottle and a small notebook with a pen next to it.

He probably wouldn't play so well in the next match. His mental health wasn't the best at the moment, so it was essential that he come up with a minimally competent plan so that he didn't have to rely only on himself, but on the other players, too. Of course, he couldn't dream of Rin's cooperation; after the match was over, his expression was truly angry, and Isagi felt that if he got anywhere near him, he would die again.

And this time, it wouldn't be to a crazy fan, but to his rival.

— Hmph.

A brief laugh burst from his lips as his thoughts turned to Rin.

As soon as the treadmill stopped, he stayed on it for a few seconds and finally got off, heading for his bottle. In just a few movements, he sat down on the cold floor — which sent a shiver down his spine — and picked up his belongings, turning slightly and leaning his back against the wall. He raised his hand with the bottle and brought the spout to his lips, making him swallow the water. His free hand and his eyes went to his notebook.

Perhaps it was the least bit difficult to think of something concrete when you didn't have a clear idea of who your teammates would be, but he would manage. The only thing he was almost certain of was that Bachira would go to the A team, and since he hadn't played so far, he would play the last two matches.

First, information about the B team leaders.

Despite having played against them recently, it was necessary to analyze them correctly. They had evolved in the future from which they came, of course, but he had to focus on the skills they had at the moment, so there was no point in basing himself on something unrealistic at the time.

— What are you doing, Sae? — Isagi asked, sitting down next to him on the bench.

Sae looked at him sideways. At the moment, he was sitting on a bench while the other players ran around the field. Because they had both trained a little earlier, they had been allowed a short break.

Some would claim it was the coach's preference — something even Isagi himself thought, but he wasn't really complaining — but he would never assume that.

Sae shifted a little in his seat and crossed his legs, leaving a small notebook on his knee and a pen in the vacant spot between him and Isagi. Isagi's blue eyes fixed on that object with curiosity, so he moved a little closer to observe.

— I'm putting together a strategy for us to play against RB Leipzig — he picked up the pen and brought it to his lips, tapping it against his mouth with light strokes.

Isagi arched an eyebrow, confused.

— But we played them recently and won… — he tipped his head to one side. — What else do you have to study?

His eyes met Sae's — he thought they were incredibly beautiful, by the way. There was silence for a few seconds, but suddenly the other raised his arm, put his hand in front of his face and put two fingers together, tapping him on the forehead.

— Ouch! — He put his hand over the "bruise" and gave a little peck. — What's that for?

— Idiot — he said simply, returning his gaze to his notebook and taking his pen there. — No matter how recently we've played, it's important to study our opponents.

Isagi's beak got bigger.

— Nerd.

Sae's countenance didn't change, but he suddenly stood up while writing something down. Isagi was even more confused to see him start to walk away.

— Sae? — he shouted, getting up and starting to chase after him.

— Hmph.

Once again, a short laugh left his lips.

The Itoshi brothers would always be in his life, after all, if it hadn't been for them — and many other incredible players with whom he had befriended and, in a way, created a rivalry — he wouldn't have been able to almost become the best in the world.

Well, he didn't have that long until the next match, so he should take his mind off futile things.

He took the bottle out of his mouth and placed it next to his body, then took a deep breath and picked up his pen, bringing it to his lips and biting into the plastic. He had managed to deal with Karasu and Otoya last time, but it was because they had somewhat underestimated him at first, only realizing their mistake when it was too late. Isagi was absolutely certain that they would be more careful this time.

His eyes were fixed in front of him.

He had made some simulations of moves that might work, based on strategies focused on offense or defense, depending on the formation chosen. As he couldn't be completely sure which people would be in his team, he would have to improvise and use his "skill" of foresight, as well as his great planning and his intelligence linked directly to soccer.

He took the pen out of his mouth and put it down on paper.

First, he circled the first strategy he created: 2-1-2. It's a fairly basic offensive-defensive formation, as it was easy to make a transition during such a formation. In this first strategy, Isagi considered that Bachira would be joining the A team, so he would be up front with Rin, as strikers. Then Isagi would be in the middle, being, in a way, the team's midfielder. And behind him would be the other players, who he still had no information about.

He really didn't want to have to make plans without knowing who his teammates were, but there was nothing he could do, so he let out a heavy sigh.

In the second formation made, it was something more defensive, being a 3-2. Similar to the previous formation, Bachira and Rin would be up front, but Isagi would be at the back with the other players. It was the formation they normally used during the third team's matches, but with the difference of using Rin and Bachira as the base of attack.

The third formation didn't differ much from the first, however, but instead of being 2-1-2, they would have two people in defense and one as a "midfielder", they would have two in the middle, leaving only one person in defense, who would be Isagi. The attacking base would again be Rin and Bachira, leaving the other two players in the middle.

A sigh left his lips once again. Isagi leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes. In truth, he didn't even know why he was making so many plans like this — and he thought of many others. Even if Bachira was on his team anyway, it wasn't certain that Rin would follow the plan. Of course, Bachira was now playing together with those who would benefit his and have a direct impact on his personal development, but Rin was trying to play alone, needing absolutely no one to score with.

Well, it was Isagi's fault for proposing such an idiotic challenge in the heat of the moment. Rin always accepted his challenges, no matter what timeline they were in. Once, during a Champions League match between the two teams, Isagi challenged Rin to see who could score the most goals, and whoever won would fulfill a request from the winner. Of course, Rin accepted without even waiting for him to finish his sentence and already sang victory. The game was intense and fun for both of them — even if Rin didn't want to admit it — but it ended in a draw.

Rin was absurdly pissed off afterwards — Isagi found it extremely amusing — because he wanted to win anyway, but the challenge was extended to the next match they had against each other.

Isagi put both hands on the side of his head and started swaying from side to side — still with his eyes closed. He didn't feel like doing that at the moment. His head was too full and he needed to relax somehow before he left. If Nagi were around, he could call him over to play together or something, but at the moment that was impossible.

— What a drag… — he whispered, taking the notebook off his thighs, pulling both legs close to his chest and resting his chin on his knees.

Maybe there was a chance that Rin would even play alongside Bachira so that he could score, since it wouldn't be with Isagi that he would play constantly. But honestly? Isagi didn't even want to try to get inside that idiot boy's mind. He couldn't be bothered.

— Ah, fuck it — he said, moving his legs away from him, packing his things and getting up from the floor quickly. — I'm going to the meditation room.

In the other timeline, he often did yoga and meditation. In fact, he did it every day. And it was always a great way to relax and prepare for the next match, especially since it was one of the only options among the Blue Lock's limitations.

A normal teenager would pick up his cell phone, just as Nagi had done, but he wasn't a normal teenager. He wouldn't talk to anyone. He couldn't even remember the faces of the people he'd met in primary and secondary school, and he didn't have the courage to interact with his parents.

Even if he had had some contact with them in the other timeline, it would never have been the same. They were dry conversations. His parents would ask him if he was all right and he would just say yes, even though he wasn't. He didn't want to be bothered and didn't want to be bothered. He didn't want to be bothered and he didn't want to be a nuisance in anyone's life. It was still strange to speak so casually to the people around him, but he was forcing himself to get used to it as quickly as possible.

In other words, this was definitely not the time to talk to his parents, even if it was only on his cell phone.

In any case, with his things in hand, Isagi headed for the automatic door, leaving quickly so that he could get to the yoga room soon.

Right, he should have considered that possibility.

When they were chosen to be in the top 6, they were separated into two trios, where each trio would sleep in a separate room. At first, no one wanted to be in the same room as Rin — he turns out to be a very unpleasant person, even if he doesn't realize it — but since Isagi didn't want to be with Shidou at all, he instantly preferred to join Rin.

It was clear that he would prefer Rin to Shidou. Compared to everything he'd already had to endure with that guy, sleeping in the same room was nothing. And he'd still have someone else to help support Rin, so it wasn't really a problem. However, to their misfortune, they decided to solve the last limb in rock, paper and scissors, resulting in having to put up with Rin and Shidou in the same room.

How could anyone be so unlucky?

He let out a low sigh and shook his head from side to side in discontent.

If he wasn't in the bedroom or the training room, it was obvious that he would be there, in the meditation room. Rin was always meditating and doing yoga whenever possible, so it wasn't a surprise really, since they both started this habit because of the same person: Itoshi Sae.

Rin was always inspired by his brother, even down to his routine, which included meditation and morning yoga.

Isagi, as well as being inspired by Sae because he advised him to do so, ended up getting used to him because of the daily routine. In other words, even though all that had happened, he would never stop doing what he had learned from him. He would always be grateful to Sae, no matter how much time passed.

As usual, Rin was sitting in the middle of the room on a yoga mat, meditating. He was shirtless and wearing only shorts — a little too tight, in Isagi's opinion — with his legs crossed over each other. His expression was serene and relaxed, as it should be, after all, since he seemed extremely focused.

Isagi had no plans to disturb him, let alone irritate him. He had already taken it hard in the field, he didn't even want to imagine what Rin would do if he interrupted his training. Even more so in a room that, even if it had cameras, he knew wasn't being monitored, since Ego and Anri were glued to Team B's game against Team C.

In other words, Rin could kill him if he wanted to.

A drop ran down his temple. He definitely wasn't prepared to die again so soon, so his solution would be to ignore Rin as much as possible.

He turned on his heels slowly — so as not to make any noise, of course — and walked towards the corner of the room, where some blue yoga mats were stacked. When he got there, he just bent his body a little and picked up his own mat, then put it over his arm and started walking across the room in silence.

Even though he tried to be as quiet as possible, he was sure that Rin had already noticed his presence, as the sound of his feet touching the floor was impossible to hide. But there was nothing he could do, right? He doesn't have superhuman abilities, like flying or anything like that. Well, he didn't think he did. He had managed to go back in time by making a wish during a meteor shower, so nothing else impressed him.

Would he be able to make another wish during the next meteor shower?

No, the gods probably wouldn't be so nice as to let him have anything other than the ability to go back in time after death. Even if it was something unique and momentary — at least in theory, since he wasn't really sure if he'd be able to use that power again — it was already something incredible. He wouldn't complain.

— Don't come near me and don't even get in my way, Isagi — Rin said suddenly, making Isagi stop walking and look over his shoulder.

Rin hadn't even moved from his previous position, let alone opened his eyes, but as mentioned before, it was obvious that he would notice Isagi's presence.

A sigh left his lips and he started walking again, heading for his original destination.

— You didn't even have to ask — he said, arriving where he wanted to be and bending down to place the rug on the floor.

There was a silence in the room as Isagi put his things on the floor and sat down on the rug.

It wasn't extremely uncomfortable. Isagi hadn't even imagined that he would find Rin there, so the fact that he had to deal with the silence wasn't a problem at all. In fact, he was used to being like that in his presence. When they met and got involved casually, it was common for them to be silent, just enjoying each other's presence.

He got into a comfortable position, crossing his legs on top of each other. He went there to relax a bit, so he was going to ignore Rin for a while. He put his arms on the floor, resting them behind him, while he threw his head back and closed his eyes, breathing deeply. He relaxed all the muscles in his body and took another deep breath.

Although he had started doing this because of Sae, he went deeper into yoga and meditation thanks to his doctor. In his treatment, he was recommended to use these techniques to "get his head right". Of course, he didn't only use these techniques to improve his mental condition, but it was one of the main solutions he had.

He took his hands off the floor and stood up straight, placing his hands on each of his knees. Inhaling the air around him, he began to slowly raise his arms, stopping them at the top — while his hands touched — and, after a few seconds, he lowered his arms, making his lungs take the air into his mouth and releasing it through it. He repeated the action a few times. It was very basic, just to relax his body and prepare him for gradually increasing the degree of difficulty.

Then, to stretch out the side of his body, he placed his left hand on the floor, then raised his other arm and leaned his body in the same direction as the supported hand. His breathing was calm and controlled, and every second, he lowered himself a little more, but without forcing it, as this could cause a twist. After a while, he made the same movement, but this time to the opposite side. He repeated the same action a few times, alternating sides.

After that, he just put one hand on his knee, placed the other on the floor and rotated his upper body a little. Then he repeated it, but on the other side, and just went back to the starting position. Immediately, he began to turn his head — while taking a few short breaks — to stretch his neck.

While he was doing his initial stretch, he felt as if he was being watched, so when he had finished, he opened one of his eyes a little — he didn't want Rin to see that he had noticed, after all — and stared at Rin. He tried to disguise it, but it was more than clear that he was bothered by Isagi's presence there. Especially with the fact that he was doing yoga and meditation, something that he — the Isagi before the time loop — didn't do properly.

A memory of him — when he was younger — trying to copy Rin's yoga moves and failing miserably flashed through his mind. He almost laughed, but managed to control himself, soon returning his attention to what he was doing before.

After a while, however, the feeling of being watched intensified, which certainly made Isagi feel uncomfortable. So, with that in mind, he just let out a sigh and opened both eyes, looking directly at Rin.

— How long are you going to stare at me?

When his voice echoed through the room, he noticed that Rin shuddered for a moment, but then pulled himself together.

— Didn't I tell you not to talk to me?

— You didn't answer me.

Rin squinted and closed his eyes, returning to his meditation.

— Just don't talk to me.

After being completely ignored by Rin, he blinked a few times in disbelief. Well, of course he wasn't going to give in so easily. Itoshi Rin is a complete Kuudere, so he hardly shows his emotions, especially to Isagi, let alone confess that he was actually watching him.

Isagi let out a sigh.

Before he could get back to his exercises, he took one last look at Rin, realizing that he had, for some reason, actually started yoga. Previously, he had just been meditating quietly, but to have suddenly started, only after watching Isagi intensely, made it clear that he was only doing it to compete with him.

Then, for the first time since waking up, a slightly simpler, truer smile came from his lips. As he laughed in a more restrained manner, he put his hand over his mouth, trying to hide how amusing it was to see Rin so desperate like that. Even though he was a 16-year-old boy, he could be as childish as a 10-year-old after being challenged by a classmate.

And Isagi loved it, so he put his exercises aside for a while so he could watch what Rin would do next.

He stood up slowly and placed his hands and knees on the floor, on all fours. Isagi couldn't even admire him for long, as he instantly lifted his hips into the air, stretching out his arms and legs. Then he began to bend one knee, stretching out the other, alternating and doing this movement in succession; and seconds later, he began to walk forward, immediately straightening his spine and raising both arms upwards.

— Fuu... — he let the air out of his mouth and went back to kneeling on the floor.

Resting both forearms on the floor, Rin turned his head towards the ground, stretched out one leg and bent the other, gluing his thigh to the side of his body. Veins popped out all over his bent leg, showing that he was really putting his strength into it. He then did the same with the other leg, stretching out the previously bent one.

Isagi's eyes were on every move Rin made — of course, looking away from his thighs, otherwise he'd have a big problem — watching him struggle in each position. Even though he was used to seeing him like that and knew he did it routinely, a sense of pride grew in his chest, after all, he seemed slightly more excited than usual just because Isagi was in the same room as him.

— Stop watching me, you disgusting stalker — Rin said suddenly as he sat with his leg forward, touching the sole of his foot and curving his spine.

Isagi blinked a few times, but let out a small laugh and put his hand over his mouth, which led to a slightly louder and more continuous laugh.

— You're too hypocritical, Rin — he looked at him with one eye closed, still with a small smile on his face. — I'm just doing the same as you, aren't I? But the difference is that I admit it.

Rin shivered for a moment and Isagi noticed. He rested his arm on his leg and let his face rest on his hand, looking at his and seeing that his cheeks were slightly reddened.

— Shut up. If you're going to get in my way, get out of here.

— You're too egoist.

— What if I am? — He got out of his previous position, crossed his legs and laid his forehead on the floor, placing his hands in front of his head. — Fuuu... It's none of your business, lukewarm.

Isagi rested his hands on the cold floor behind his back and arched an eyebrow.

— We're partners, right? I think I have something to do with it, yes?

Rin squinted his eyes and returned to his original position, standing with his legs crossed and his spine erect.

— Partners? Me and you? — he looked over his shoulder, fixing his gaze on him. That turquoise gaze made Isagi shiver from head to toe, but not in a bad way. — We're enemies, Isagi. I'm going to devour you and win our bet.

Once again, Isagi was completely taken aback.

It was obvious to Isagi that Rin didn't stand a chance. He had the experience of a professional gambler, so he wouldn't be able to beat him in any way, after all, he was completely out of his league.

With an even bigger smile on his face — and certainly the happiest and truest one that day — he stood up and picked up his things, including his mat. Rin arched an eyebrow and almost questioned, but before he knew it, Isagi was at his side, putting the rug down.

— What are you doing?

Isagi didn't answer him and just looked straight into his eyes.

Rin was right. At that moment, they weren't partners. They were on a bet, so they would have to take it seriously. Quickly, Isagi put his hands on the hem of his shirt and slowly lifted it up, feeling the fabric pass delicately over his skin — and Rin's eyes widened at the sudden scene.

After taking off his shirt, he moved on to his pants, taking them off so that he was wearing shorts just like Rin's, which showed off his thighs. The other man might not have noticed, but his eyes were completely fixed on his legs, which Isagi found slightly interesting and, above all, amusing.

— Well, even though we're on the same team — he said, kneeling down on the carpet and placing his hands on the floor in front of his knees —, I'm not going to make it any easier for you. — Isagi lifted his hips high and quickly stood on both hands, his body raised upwards. — I see you as my rival, after all. I'm going to devour you whole and get a favor from you.

When he had finished his words, he took one of his hands off the ground and looked forward, stretching his hand up to Rin's face and gently fingering his chin. Once again, it was possible to see Itoshi Rin being completely bewildered, which made Isagi's smile instantly widen.

Seconds later, Rin grabbed his arm and squeezed it with a certain amount of force — which resulted in Isagi's hand moving away from his chin. His gaze fixed on Isagi, his countenance intense and even more determined.

— Rival? That's idiotic. — His aura increased at the same moment. — I may have lost, but it will never happen again, Isagi. You will never be above me.

Isagi's eyes shone.

The emptiness he felt in his chest was being filled a little because of Rin. The idea of him evolving further. The idea of causing a greater challenge in his current life. The fact that he was actually taking a completely silly dispute seriously.

Isagi really loves Rin.

He loves being by his side and feels good being with him, no matter what timeline it was, and even though he doesn't deserve it in the slightest.

Feeling his heart beat faster, Isagi got out of Rin's grip on his arm and put his body back down on the ground, kneeling. He crawled closer to Rin and put his hand on his chin, pulling his closer and pressing their foreheads together.

— I really love our twisted relationship, Rin — he smiled, seeing him fix his eyes on his lips. — Don't let me down.

Instinctively, Rin moved closer, almost kissing him, but he stopped his lips near Isagi's, then turned his eyes upwards, focusing them on Isagi's. 

— You can't wait, lukewarm.

Although still surprised by the sudden closeness, the smile returned to Isagi's face.

— I'm looking forward to it.

Maybe the next game wouldn't be as bad as he thought after all.

Chapter Text

After stretching properly and sleeping the entire 6 hours between the previous match and the current one, Isagi felt a little more refreshed than before, which was a good thing since the match would start in a few moments. 

Although he had managed to rest and was physically a little less tense and a lot more relaxed — and of course, mentally a little better because of the time he had spent with Rin —, his mental state was still below what would normally be expected. In other words, he wouldn't play as well in this match as he would have liked, so he would have to stick to his original plan: change the formation to focus on Rin and Bachira. 

He let out a sigh. 

As he stretched his legs, bending one and straightening the other, he looked up to see Rin standing next to him with his arms crossed. In contrast to the previous fight, his face was calmer and more controlled. This made Isagi curious. Maybe he had found out what he needed to do to control the situation and to be above Isagi on the field? Or was he actually more in control because of the moment they had spent together a few hours ago?

"Interesting...", Isagi thought and alternately stretched one leg and the other. 

Well, if Rin was less "aloof" towards him, then maybe he could make a suggestion to change the formation of Team A. So he stood up and stood properly next to Rin. With all the patience in the world — after all, he still had to deal with Rin, whether he was calmer or not — he turned to him and opened his lips to say:

— Rin. 

As soon as his name came out of Isagi's mouth, his muscles tensed a little — which did not go unnoticed by Isagi — but he kept his usual expression and looked in his direction to see that he was staring at him with a more dejected expression than usual, which he decided not to question. 

— What?

— Hmm... — he thought for a few seconds, trying to find the right words to say to his teammate. — I was thinking of doing something different in this match.

Rin raised an eyebrow.

A few seconds passed, and when he realized that Rin wasn't going to say anything, just listen to him, he decided to go ahead with his suggestion. 

— Let's change our formation a little. 

Immediately, Rin's eyes widened, but a moment later, he narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. Well, Isagi had expected this reaction from Rin, after all, it didn't make any sense for them to suddenly change their formation without any reason. 

— What the hell are you doing, Isagi?

He shrugged and then put his hands on his waist and looked to the door from which his teammates would be leaving. 

He couldn't show his weakness to Rin. Just the thought of making his illness so obvious made him feel uncomfortable. As I said, he considered him a rival, and with that in mind, showing how weak he was was out of the question.

In other words, he couldn't tell the real reason. 

Isagi blinked — kept his eyes closed for a few seconds — and turned his head back to Rin. A small smile appeared on his lips that left the other confused. 

— I just want to see how well you can play without me at your side. 

A silence fell at the same moment. 

Rin's eyes narrowed even more and a vein pulsed at his temple. Then he crossed his arms and approached Isagi, lifting one of his arms and holding Isagi's face tightly. 

Of course, Isagi never flinched and kept his composure in the face of Rin's intimidation. To be honest, he was quite used to Itoshi Rin's passive-aggressive behavior. 

His smile widened. 

— Don't underestimate me — he tightened his grip and brought his face closer to Isagi's. — You know very well that I don't need you. 

Isagi touched his hand to the other man's chest while keeping his eyes on his own. 

— So you won't mind if we change formation, right? 

Rin did not answer. He just stared at Isagi with fire in his eyes and let go — practically threw him —, crossed his arms again and turned his face to the side, letting air out through his nose and looking clearly irritated. 

— Whatever. Whether you change the formation or not, don't forget that it won't change the final result — he looked at him out of the corner of his eye. — I will win, Isagi. 

Isagi blinked a few times and smiled reservedly. 

— I don't want to disturb the little couple, but... — before Isagi could say anything, a voice echoed across the field and made him and Rin look at the owner of that voice — don't think you're going to win this time. 

Soon, they realized that it was Karasu who had Otoya at his side. He had the same mischievous smile as always, while Otoya's face was relaxed. 

The two stared at each other for a while. 

Isagi lifted the corner of his mouth and stared directly at Karasu who promptly returned the gesture and fixed his gaze on him. Rin wasn't really interested in the other team. His sole focus was on Isagi and to be honest, he really preferred to ignore the presence of the others around him. 

Suddenly, the doors on both sides of each team opened. Isagi looked away from his opponents and together with Rin, he looked over his shoulder to see who his teammates were. 

As soon as he realized who was on his team, he felt a huge relief. In addition to Niko and Gagamaru, the person he had hoped to see on his team was there: Bachira Meguru. When their eyes met, Bachira gave a huge smile, walked faster towards Isagi and raised his arm so that they could touch hands. 

When Isagi got the message, he turned on his heels and walked towards his friend, making the same gesture. When they were close enough, their hands met, showing that even though it hadn't been long since they had seen each other, they were very happy to see each other again. 

— Isagi! Rin-chan! — Bachira called happily. 

— What's wrong, Bachira? — Isagi tilted his head to the side, a small but gentle smile on his face. Despite his current situation, he was really happy to have him on his team. 

Even if Isagi tried to hide it, Bachira knew him well enough to know that something was wrong. 

"I wonder if something has happened to him", Bachira thought worriedly. 

— Don't forget me, Isagi-kun. 

Niko took a step forward, his hands in his pockets and a determined look in the long fringe that covered his eyes. 

Isagi turned his head and looked at Niko. 

— Niko! I didn't think you would make the A-team. 

Niko tilted his head to the side. 

— Of course, I would. I can't fall behind and lose to you again. 

Not wanting to be left out, Gagamaru approached the four of them, stood next to Isagi and placed his hand on Isagi's blue strands.

— I'm curious to see how much you have improved, Isagi — Gagamaru said and looked directly into Isagi's eyes. It had been a long time since those huge eyes had looked at him, a look that sent a shiver down his spine. 

"This Gagamaru look scares me sometimes", he thought quickly. "It will also be strange to see him as a striker after so many years..."

Since the match against the U-20 in the past — or in the future, Isagi wasn't sure — Gagamaru had further improved his skills as a goalkeeper, which later, especially after the Neo Selfish League, made him an extremely good goalkeeper — even one of the best Isagi knew — and extremely famous. 

Leaving aside the subject of Gagamaru, he and his teammates turned their heads and looked across the field, taking a good look at the opposing team. 

Karasu, Otoya, Yuzu, Ishikari, and Sokura. 

Except for Karasu and Otoya, he didn't know much about them — in fact, he didn't even know much about the other two. 

— Bachira, Niko, Gagamaru — Isagi started to say without taking his eyes off the other team, attracting the attention of the mentioned and Rin. — We'll change our formation to a 1-2-2. Rin and Bachira will be the main forwards. 

Bachira's eyes widened in surprise.

— Me and Rin-chan?

Isagi nodded, turned his head to them and crossed his arms. 

— Since Otoya and Karasu have a more aggressive attack pattern, Niko and I will stay as midfielders. 

Thoughtfully, Niko put his hand to his chin. 

— But just the two of us? If they get through, there'll only be one of us left. 

Blinking several times, Isagi let out a short laugh. His eyes turned to Gagamaru who looked at him curiously. 

— No problem. Gagamaru can do it. 

The previous look of curiosity immediately changed to one of surprise, but it only lasted a few seconds because he just nodded. 

When everything was settled, they went straight to the center of the field where the two teams faced each other. 

Isagi took a deep breath and let it out through his mouth. The strange feeling still hadn't gone away but he knew that he had to do his best despite the limitations of his body and mind. 

He looked forward and his eyes met Rin's, who looked at him over his shoulder with an intense aura in his irises. It was clear that he wasn't happy about not being able to play with Isagi at his side, because for him, it was more than just an insult. 

It was as if he was not taken seriously. 

And Isagi realized that. 

In reality, this thought was a good thing. If Rin thought that he wasn't taken seriously, he would play harder to prove to Isagi that he was wrong about himself; that he was worth it. 

And Isagi knew that he was worth it. 

It was Rin after all. 

Whatever Rin would give him, Isagi would gladly accept it because above all this rivalry, the one-sided desire for friendship was strong — in addition to the strong desire to make amends for everything he had done to his rival — making him able — and willing — to accept any feeling that came from Rin. 

"Rin...", he thought with a strong, glowing aura in his eyes. "Just watch me..."

KICK OFF!!!

The game started with the ball at the feet of Rin and Bachira, where the former kicked the ball to his partner. With a smile on his face, he ran his tongue between his lips. To be able to play with Rin, a person who was good enough to cooperate with his individual development, was perfect. 

Of course, while he was excited, he was also a little worried about Isagi, but he was fully aware that he had to focus on his goal: to play against the top six members of his team and thus be able to beat them for a place in the Blue Lock Eleven. 

With that in mind, Bachira moved faster. He licked his lips briefly when he saw Karasu approaching to tag him. He vaguely remembered him. Well, he remembered a little of what Chigiri had told him when they had talked about how the first match had gone. 

Bachira hadn't really asked because he wanted to know about his future opponents, he wanted to know about Isagi who had been more than a little strange for several days. 

He stopped when his body and Karasu's almost touched. With a mischievous smile on his face, the other man stared at him, making Bachira even more excited to face him. According to Chigiri, he was very cunning and liked to provoke his opponents in order to break them. 

Well, that certainly wouldn't happen to him. 

— Did Mr. Top 3 chicken out? 

Bachira raised an eyebrow. 

"Is he talking about Isagi?" he thought, trying to keep his wits about him. 

— If he's talking about Isagi… — he started, looking down at the ball at his feet — we just decided to change our strategy a little bit. 

Karasu's eyes widened slightly.

He kicked the ball with the sole of his left foot, rolled it forward with the instep of his right foot, immediately pulled it back, and kicked it again with the instep of his left foot, moving to the left while Karasu fell behind. 

On his way to his next opponent, Bachira looked ahead with an intense look on his face, but suddenly, he felt a presence beside him. Faster than before, he felt an arm in front of his torso, bringing him to an abrupt halt. Looking to the side, he realized that it was his former opponent: Karasu. 

Bachira was visibly impressed. 

— You're good, just like Chigirin said — he smiled. 

Before Karasu could reply, Bachira raised his left leg and kicked the ball, causing it to lose contact with the artificial turf and fly through the air, right to Rin's feet. 

With his usual serious face, he glanced at the ball as it touched his foot and looked forward, putting power into his legs to move forward. 

Already prepared, Otoya waited for Rin, who didn't change his face even though he was about to be marked. 

— I won't let you pass, Itoshi Rin — he said quietly. 

Isagi watched carefully. 

It was more than clear to him what would happen. Rin was obsessed with the idea of scoring alone without any help. In other words, he would advance against Otoya and then pass to no one, even if he was in trouble. And taking a closer look at the field, Isagi could be sure that Rin would be cornered. 

Stopping quickly without losing momentum, Rin used the inside of his right foot and stretched out his other leg, bringing the ball to his other foot. When Otoya tried to catch the ball, he had a hand on his chest, preventing him from approaching while Rin kicked to the other foot again. 

Putting force into his hand and kneading Otoya's uniform a bit, Rin forced his way through from the side, leaving the other man behind. Before he could go any further, Yuzu suddenly appeared in front of him and stopped him immediately. 

Rin was surrounded and marked by Otoya — who managed to recover immediately — and Yuzu. 

— It's over, Top 1 — Yuzu said, opening his arms to put even more pressure on Rin. 

Rin frowned. 

Isagi sighed when he saw that Rin didn't move. He looked to the side and saw Niko, then he parted his lips and prepared for a counterattack of Team B. 

But...

— Hmph. Ridiculous. 

When he looked forward again after hearing Rin's voice, his eyes immediately went wide. 

Rin, who was still cornered and about to lose the ball to the scoring duo, lifted his leg, put power into the side of his dominant foot, and then sent the ball flying through the air — over Yuzu and Otoya's heads — to the other side of the field. 

Smiling, Bachira passed Karasu — who had been watching the ball and was distracted for a moment — and ran to the exact spot where the ball would fall. Realizing his mistake, he tried to make up for it by marking Bachira again, but it was too late. 

With dexterity, Bachira managed to catch the pass perfectly. His and Rin's eyes met. 

— Come with me, Kappa monster — he glared at the other, who felt his whole body shaking. 

— Yes, sir — he said and continued to run. 

With ease, Rin dribbled around Yuzu from the side and moved forward so that he and Bachira could form a formation to get past Team B's defense together. 

Isagi couldn't believe his eyes. Rin had passed? Even though it had only been one match and he had considered the possibility, he couldn't imagine that it was real, after all, Rin was totally obsessed with scoring without passing to anyone. 

"Rin..."

His eyes fixed on the number 1 on Rin's back as he and Bachira played for each other. 

Thinking back, as he had noticed before the fight started, Rin actually seemed more in control after the conversation they had in the meditation room.  Maybe he realized that acting so illogically would get him nowhere? Maybe something he had said had cheered him up?

"Has he given up his obsession with this ridiculous challenge and decided to concentrate on the most important thing, which is to beat me?", he thought and watched him getting closer and closer to his goal. As always, although Isagi knew Rin more than he realized, he always managed to surprise him in some way. His mental development was fast but unbelievable. A smile left Isagi's lips. "Of course, it's unbelievable... It is Rin after all...".

In a few moments, Rin and Bachira were face to face with the goal: the gate. 

Bachira — still giggling — realized that there would be a goal soon, so without even thinking about it, he prepared to shoot for Rin. Of course, he had joined the team with the goal of overtaking Isagi and Rin somehow and thus standing out to get into the Blue Lock Eleven, but that didn't mean that he wouldn't help himself to a goal.

Suddenly, Bachira's body came into contact with an arm and his field of vision was almost completely blocked. When he realized who was marking him again, his eyes widened in surprise.

— Don't forget me!

Karasu gave his a mischievous smile and put more power into his arm, directing his foot towards the ball and kicking it under his legs before Bachira could react. His smile widened and Bachira was even more impressed. Karasu then quickly moved out of the way of his opponent and went over to the ball and kicked it away.

— Shit — Bachira said as he watched the ball fly through the air.

With a jump — not that high, although his height made up for it — the ball hit the head of Ishikari, who was considered to be the tallest player in the high school. He made his way towards Isagi, Niko and Gagamaru, who were watching his every move.

— Isagi-kun! They're coming! 

Niko and Isagi became even more alert when they saw Sokura approaching Ishikari, with the goal of both of them breaking through the Isagi-Niko-Gagamaru defense. Suddenly, as they got closer, the two began to play a little game, passing to each other. Isagi's and Niko's eyes alternated between the ball and their opponents, trying to predict what they would do next. 

When they both got close enough, Ishikari stopped in front of Niko who looked up in surprise. His face still serious, Ishikari tried to move aside to feint, but even though he was still a little shaken, Niko didn't fall for it and wouldn't let him do what he wanted.

A vein pulsed strongly in his temple, drawing Sokura's attention and leaving him impressed that someone so small had managed to block Ishikari.

However, his distraction came at a high price, for while Sokura looked away, he stretched out his leg and his boot struck the ball, sending it rolling away from his opponent's grasp. Without wasting any time, Isagi stepped aside — since the other had reacted too late, there was no problem — and regained control of the ball.

He moved forward without much thought.

His teammates — who were free before — were marked, so without much of a choice, he just kept going, heading in the direction of Otoya. Suddenly, he saw Yuzu coming from the side. As he approached, he stopped and held the ball under his right foot. 

All his attention was on his opponent. He couldn't afford to pay too much attention to other things and possibly lose possession of the ball. 

When their bodies came extremely close, Yuzu wasted no time in stretching out his leg to catch the ball but Isagi reacted and pushed it away from him. In an instant, Isagi wrapped his arm around Yuzu's chest, preventing him from getting any closer. 

Everyone on the field widened their eyes. 

Isagi was copying Karasu's technique?!

"This guy is still crazy even though he doesn't play as a striker...", Karasu thought and smiled sideways.

By the time the shock of being stopped by his teammate's technique wore off, it was too late as Yuzu realized that Isagi had already passed him without much effort, kicking the ball under his legs and managing to catch it on the other side. 

— Shit! — Yuzu exclaimed as he saw him approaching Otoya. 

Otoya moved towards Isagi and tried to block him quickly. When he realized that, he started to pedal and had total control over the ball at his feet. His opponent watched intently, never taking his eyes off his boots, but Isagi didn't hesitate to try a feint to fool him and get past him. 

Unfortunately — for Isagi —, Otoya paid more attention to him. 

With a calm face, he simply positioned himself in front of Isagi again and prevented him from passing. Arching an eyebrow with his heel, he kicked the ball to his other foot and tried to get past Otoya but failed again. 

Before Isagi could try anything else, the ball suddenly flew out of his feet as he lost his balance and hit the ground. Opening his eyes wide, he looked back as he fell and soon realized that Yuzu was there and had stolen the ball from him. 

— Hey! That's a foul! — Bachira shouted as he saw Otoya seize the opportunity and start the counterattack with Yuzu. 

"No...", Isagi thought, looking at the two who were heading towards Niko and then Gagamaru. "He stole the ball before..."

Yuzu passed the ball to Otoya again and then Otoya didn't wait a second before he ran towards Niko. For a moment, he despaired because he was marked by Ishikari and Sokura — who had fallen behind and joined Ishikari after being overtaken by Isagi.

And as a result of the double marking, Otoya was free to pass, leaving only Gagamaru to defend.

— Gagamaru-kun! — Niko shouted in desperation.

As soon as they were in front of each other, Otoya kicked the ball to one foot and then the other, using his agility to dribble past him masterfully.

— Oh shit...

Then he shot into the net, causing it to bounce wildly.

GOAL!

0-1

Bachira sighed and went over to Isagi who was still lying on the ground with a slightly darkened face and a certain tension underneath it — which he could see because he was so close to him. As he approached, he glanced at Rin who was looking at Isagi with a slightly puzzled expression. 

"I wonder what Rin-chan is thinking”, he thought and let out a short laugh before looking at Isagi again. 

Stopping next to his friend, he bent his back a little and held out his hand smiling. 

— Isagi! — he called, startling the aforementioned out of his thoughts and then turned to Bachira. — Are you alright?

Isagi blinked a few times but smiled and reached out his arm, bringing his hand to Bachira's. When he held his, he pushed his forward. When he held it, he pushed his body up and stood facing the other.

— Yes… — he said, sighing and putting both hands on his waist. — I didn't expect Yuzu to come between me and Otoya...

Bachira looked at him for a few seconds, gave him a big smile, raised his arm and reached out to hit him on the head. 

— Urgh! Bachira! — He put his hands on his head which made Bachira laugh. 

He approached Isagi and grabbed his waist, then brought their bodies together — without removing his hand from the other's waist — and threw his arm over his shoulder. Isagi's eyes widened for a moment.  

— Let's get the gate back! — he exclaimed excitedly. 

In disbelief, Isagi sighed and gave a simple smile while shaking his head from side to side. 

— You know, I don't need any help to walk...

Nevertheless, Bachira seemed to completely ignore his sentence.

— Ha! — Raichi exclaimed, grinning maliciously as he looked at the screens in front of him. — I knew Isagi's lucky streak would end sometime!

In addition to Hiori and Nanase, there were now a few more people in the control room. Since they were in their fourth match, more people were allowed to enter this room if they had played before.

— I still wonder how he improved so much in such a short time… — Igaguri whispered thoughtfully with his hand over his mouth. Raichi, who was standing next to him, raised an eyebrow.

Chigiri crossed his arms and leaned even closer to the wall without taking his eyes off the screens.

— He's always developed quickly, you know — he caught Igaguri's eye. — That had been the case since Team Z.

"Even though it's a little abnormal, this development of his...", he didn't say it, but he kept it in his mind.

— You give him too much credit, Princess! — Raichi shouted, shrugging his shoulders and pointing at Chigiri. — He may be growing up fast, but you haven't forgotten what a piece of shit he was, have you?

Chigiri narrowed his eyes and put his hands on his waist, looking directly at Raichi who was sitting on a puff.

— What's the point of talking like that? — he said with a teasing smile. — Are you so jealous, Raichi?

His cheeks flush and a vein of irritation appears at his temple.

— What? — he shouted, threatening to get up and attack Chigiri.

— Shut up! — Barou shouted in irritation. — Instead of wasting time talking about Isagi, sit down and let's watch the damn game!

Raichi's eyes widened for a moment and he suddenly exploded, starting an even bigger argument — while Igaguri somehow tried to calm him down.

Nanase and Hiori looked at each other, then laughed briefly before turning their eyes back to the game. On the screens, Isagi and Bachira ran towards Gagamaru and Niko, who seemed worried that Isagi had fallen after Yuzu had stolen the ball.

— I wonder why Isagi-san and the others decided to change their formation? — Nanase said thoughtfully and confused. — They played well in the 3-2 formation so far...

Hiori had the same doubts.

There was no obvious reason for the change, but still...

— ‘Sagi must have something on his mind. 

Suddenly, someone joined the conversation. Surprised, the two turned their heads to see Kiyora sitting next to them.

— Kiyora-kun.

"He probably came here because of the noise back there...", he thought and laughed briefly. "And... 'Sagi?", he found it amusing that they seemed to be close somehow.

Kiyora turned his head towards them and raised his hand, waving gently.

— What do you think it could be? — Nanase asked.

He shrugged his shoulders and looked straight ahead, focusing his eyes on Isagi — and unfortunately, on Bachira, who was glued to him, his hand still on his waist.

— I have no idea. Sagi is completely unpredictable. 

They both blinked a few times.

— Didn't you know each other before the Blue Lock? — Hiori dared to ask, as if he could read the thoughts of Nanase, who had the same doubts.

Confused, Kiyora looked at his and tilted his head to the side.

— No. We met at the match against Team C.

The two were completely surprised.

— Huh? But you seemed so close...

— Yes, yes! — Suddenly, Hiori's sadistic side kicked in. A sly smile appeared on his face. — Even more so when he almost kissed his in the field...

Kiyora's eyes widened and his cheeks reddened slightly — you could only see it if you looked closely.

"Do you want to know me better? Do you want to know my goals? Then do what you have to do. Take revenge on Nagi, I'll help you. Enter Blue Lock Eleven. And when that's done, I'll let you get to know me from head to toe, any way you want."

He decided to look away from the screen again and focused on Isagi.

His eyes sparkled.

— I think I can say that we had a good chemical reaction… — he whispered.

They both looked at him in surprise.

Hiori thought he saw a small smile on his face but maybe it was just his imagination.

RESTART!!

As soon as the restart was announced, Bachira kicked the ball at Rin's feet. When they started to move towards the opponent again, he turned his eyes — his head was already turned to the side because he had to watch Rin's movements — and watched Isagi who had a slightly puzzled expression on his face.

Sometimes, he really couldn't decipher what was going on in his friend's head. Especially lately, when he'd been acting stranger than usual. 

Anyway, he simply pulled his attention away from Isagi and turned his gaze to Rin who was silently waiting for him to pass. When he realized that Sokura was in front of him and tried to block him, he kept control of the ball for himself and started to move his feet, pedaling. Sokura's eyes tried to follow the fast movements, but suddenly the ball flew off Bachira's feet. 

— Huh?

Before he knew it, he had scored a hat-trick, the ball sailing over his head in a beautiful curve in the air. While his opponent watched in amazement as the ball flew over his head, Bachira easily sidestepped him, overtook him, and managed to reach the ball. 

— Bleh! — he clicked his tongue as he looked over his shoulder.

Quickly, he lifted his leg and hit the ball with his boot, sending it flying straight at Rin. Seeing the ball coming towards him, he looked to the side and realized that Otoya was marking him, so without much effort, the ball hit the side of his foot and went up, passing over his head and that of his opponent. 

He immediately used his legs and turned his body, dribbling past him and regaining control of the ball. 

Not to be outdone so easily, Otoya kept up with Rin. He tried to move forward, but the other man blocked him, and this went on for several seconds, irritating Rin a bit. He hated the fact that this guy was so flexible and good at reacting to his attempts to move forward — even if he didn't want to admit it. 

— Tsk.

Annoyed, he stopped and without waiting for the other to get used to the sudden change in pace, he put his right foot in front of the ball and used the heel of his other foot to pass to Bachira. 

Seeing that the ball was going to his, Bachira smiled, but suddenly a huge shadow appeared in front of his, wiping the smile from his face and replacing it with a surprised expression. 

It was Ishikari, who had used his height to intercept the pass. 

Landing on the ground and receiving a complaint from Bachira about his completely unfair height, Ishikari lifted his leg and touched the ball with his boot, causing it to go a little further in front of where Rin and Otoya were standing.

Despite trying to run to intercept the pass that was clearly meant for Otoya, Rin felt Karasu's arm — which had appeared so that Otoya could receive the pass freely — on his chest, causing a sound of disgust to come out of his mouth. And seizing the opportunity, Otoya went ahead and managed to execute the plan perfectly.

With Rin and Bachira blocked by Karasu and Ishikari, respectively, he used his speed and skill to continue his counterattack. Within seconds, he had reached the two "midfielders" — Isagi and Niko. Taking up a defensive position, the two looked at each other for a moment and nodded before turning their gaze to Otoya. Without waiting long, but still wary of Isagi, he decided to move on to the one who seemed to be the weakest: Niko Ikki.

When he realized that Otoya was coming towards him, Niko planted his feet firmly on the ground and looked carefully under his fringe. He had no expression on his face and no unnecessary movements, but still, Niko could follow his slight movements with his eyes — like those of a ninja about to reach his target and kill him perfectly.

"Left. Right. Left. Right."

His thoughts followed his vision perfectly.

Suddenly, as Otoya approached, he overtook Niko — who, even if he had noticed it, hadn't been able to keep up with his body — by feinting in the opposite direction and heading towards Isagi.